Harry Potter and the Map of Discoveries
by tatajess
Summary: When Fred & George stole the Marauder's Map in their first year, they didn't expect the secrets it would reveal years later. How will Harry & Snape adjust to the new discoveries & how will it effect the wizarding world? AU, canon through OoTP. Severitus.
1. Prologue: Rescuing the Map

_Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing J.K. Rowling's magical world of Harry Potter. It all belongs to her._

Enjoy! Please see AN at the end.

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**_Prologue_**

Students were rushing through the stone passageways and to their respective common rooms as another day of classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came to an end. However, two boys, both alike in nearly every way, had other ideas. A freckled nose and a pair of brown eyes peaked out from around the corner. The flickering light from the candles lining the dungeon hallways made his red hair look like fire. 

"Here they come," said George.

Marcus Flint was talking with the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, closely followed by a few of the other members. The twins had spent a week trying to figure out how to get back at Flint for cursing Charlie off of his broom after the last Quidditch match. Flint's only punishment was a ten point loss for Slytherin courtesy of Snape's appeal to the Headmaster. 

"Ready Fred?" the boy asked his doppelganger.

"Ready George," Fred said, holding up a bulging violet bag.

Fred untied the bag and pulled out two dungbombs. George grabbed another two, putting one of them in his pocket. With a silent count that only the twins could hear, they chucked them at the far wall, directly in front of their targets. The dungbombs exploded in a cloud of chocolate colored dust. It coated the Slytherins, who were unable to avoid the blast. Flint had doubled over, gagging and gasping for fresh air and finding none. The putrid smell had caused Keeper Miles Bletchley's eyes to water so much that he couldn't see and walked directly into a suit of armor. Bletchley tripped and fell over the helmet, causing Terence Higgs, who had been holding both his breath and his nose, to stumble and fall on top of him. 

As Fred and George watched the theatrics from a safe distance away, they spotted their arch-nemesis coming around the corner. The hacking coughs and sound of the falling armor had drawn Argus Filch to the scene.

"What's going on here," Filch growled as he approached the Slytherins. The cloud of dust from the dungbombs had now settled and coated the boys and the hallway in a fine brown powder. 

"Oh, no. Old Argie's coming!" Fred whispered to George, and the two began to retreat down the hallway to avoid punishment.

Several minutes later, the twins found themselves in an abandoned bathroom a few floors above the dungeons. They were slightly out of breath from their sprint to safety, but couldn't keep the smiles off of their faces. 

"Did you see Flint's face! I wish we had a camera!" laughed George as he washed his hands.

"I know! Bletchley was even better! I knew he was slow, but who knew that he could do such a good impression of a blind troll!" Fred replied from a nearby sink, rubbing his hands together under the warm water in an effort to remove the brown stains left behind from the dungbombs.

Suddenly, the bathroom door squeaked open and an ugly cat walked in. "Look what we have here, my sweet," Filch exclaimed to Mrs. Norris. "And they still have the stains on their hands to prove it! Extra fish for you tonight! You have a great sense of smell."

Fred and George were frozen in place as Filch smiled, showing his crooked teeth. "Now I've got you two. Oh, I've been waiting for this day since the Welcoming Feast."

"Let's go," Filch growled, as he grabbed both boys by the arm and pulled them towards his office. 

"Now get in and don't move. I've got to get some more forms for this one," he said as he shoved Fred and George into the dusty room and closed the door. 

Filch's office was exactly as they remembered it. Papers were piled in untidy stacks all around the room. Chains adorned the walls, all clean and in easy reach of the desk, as though ready to use at any moment. Some cleaning supplies were in a far corner. A strangely shaped piece of rusted metal was draped across the top of two equally rusted, large filing cabinets. 

"What do ya suppose this is used for?" George said, pointing to the metal object.

"I dunno, Forge. Let's take a closer look," Fred responded as he strode towards the cabinets. As he and George peered at the object, a faded filing label caught their eye. 

"_**Confiscated and Highly Dangerous**_," Fred read aloud with an excited gleam in his eye. 

Filch returned at that very moment. "Get away from there you mangy mutts!" You've got enough detention in your future," he growled as he hobbled behind his desk, a stack of parchments in one hand and a red ink bottle in another. "Ole Dumbledore won't let me use the chains anymore, but he didn't say anything about disembowelment. You two need to be taught a lesson! I've got hours of cleaning to do on those hallways! I'm tired of you two filthy little beasts! You'll be in detention until you graduate, mark my words!"

George glanced at Fred during Filch's tirade. With a quick nod and a wink, George slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled out the remaining dungbomb, and tossed it on Filch's desk. The dungbomb went off as Filch was taking a breath of air. 

"Bloody hell," cursed Filch, coughing and waving his arms in an effort to clear the disgusting dust and attack the twins. "I'm gonna ring your necks!" 

At the same time, Fred ran, wand in hand, to the drawer marked "**_Confiscated and Highly Dangerous_**." With a shout of "_Alohamora_," Fred opened the lock, pulled the drawer open, and grabbed the first item he could reach. 

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Fred shouted over Filch's profanity-laced diatribe describing the many ways he was planning to torture the twins. George yanked open the door and the twins dashed out, running and not stopping until they were safely inside of the Gryffindor common room. 

The stench following the twins also found its way into the room. The other Gryffindors held their noses and Percy glared at them with a look that told them they would be receiving a Howler from 

home soon. The twins dashed up to their dormitory and peeled off their robes, tossing them into a pile on the floor. "So," said George. "Wha' did you get?"

"I dunno," replied Fred. "Looks like a ratty old piece of parchment, but I'm sure we'll figure it out." Smirking at each other, they hid the parchment behind an area of torn fabric inside George's trunk and headed to the showers. 

AN: Please review and let me know what you think! Any suggestions or ideas are welcome. I'm in medical school, so update times will vary based on my workload and exam schedule. I'll be continuing this fic as a Severitus as soon as I'm able to, so Harry and Snape will make an appearance in the next chapter. Also, I don't have a beta, so if anyone's interested, let me know! 


	2. Summer Life

_Disclaimer: see CH 1._

…_Seven Years Later_

"Diddy! Come and eat! Breakfast is ready," shouted Petunia up the stairs.

As Dudley stampeded past his former second bedroom, Harry Potter awakened from his slumber. Piercing green eyes came into focus as the boy put on his black rimmed glasses and ran a hand through his dark black hair. The glasses emphasized the dark circles under his eyes, proof of his ongoing nightmares. Since he lost his godfather during the battle at the Ministry in the Department of Mysteries, Harry had trouble sleeping and relived Sirius's final moments almost nightly. Through his link with Voldemort, Harry also watched Death Eater meetings, finding himself waking up at all hours of the morning in a cold sweat, screaming and thrashing in his bed. There hadn't been a meeting in a week, making Harry more anxious about Voldemort's next move.

At first, Vernon would come rushing into the room, worried, not for his nephew, but that someone had broken into his home. After a week of this, he had progressed to verbal threats of no food and a 24 hour vacation in the cupboard under the stairs.

Harry had finally changed into his work clothes and entered the kitchen. All three Dursleys were already eating and looked up from their full plates of food at the scrawny boy that entered the room. Harry grabbed a quarter section of grapefruit and a leftover burnt piece of toast and sat at the far end of the table. As Harry gathered his food, Vernon's face had slowly begun to turn an unflattering purple color.

"Boy! I've had enough of your racket!" shouted Vernon as Harry took a seat. "But Vernon, those freaks…" Petunia looked at Vernon and tried to interrupt him. "No, Pet, I don't care what those freaks think. I can't take anymore of his nightly shouting! Boy, if it happens tonight, you'll be out of this house and sleeping in the shed!" "Got it?" he snarled, as a speck of half chewed egg flew out of Vernon's mouth and onto Harry's glasses.

Harry stared back at his uncle, shocked that he had lasted this long before threatening to kick him out of the house. He took a bite of his dry burnt toast and nodded as he wiped the egg of his face. "Yes, sir," he mumbled.

"And do something about your hair. It's getting too long. What will the neighbors think?" Petunia added.

"Too right you are," Vernon replied as he stood from the table, kissed his wife goodbye, and headed out for work.

"Now you heard your uncle," Petunia said to Harry as she added the last grapefruit quarter to Dudley's plate next to his half eaten pile of eggs. "Go outside and finish your chores. I won't have you lazing around all day." Harry nodded, threw the grapefruit rind in the trash, and headed outside. He found the best way to handle his aunt and uncle this summer was to keep quiet and pretend he didn't exist.

Once Harry was outside, he put on a pair of gardening gloves and crawled into the flower bed between some hydrangeas against the Dursley's home. If anyone asked, he'd look like he was doing yardwork, but Harry had other things on his mind. He was worried about the lack of Death Eater activity. What had Voldemort been doing that was so important for him not to continue his almost daily raids of muggle neighborhoods? Did it have to do with the prophecy?

Harry was shocked when he found out about it. Sirius had just died a few days earlier and Dumbledore had told him the prophecy. How was a soon-to-be 16 year old boy supposed to destroy someone so vile that people were afraid to utter his name?

Harry had spent the last two weeks of summer holiday thinking of ways to defeat Voldemort. He knew he had to get extra training this semester and focus on learning more advanced defense techniques. Dumbledore should hire a competent professor for the upcoming school year, Harry thought, as he viciously yanked a dandelion weed out of the ground. The force of his pull on the weed caused dirt to fly up and scatter across his head and shirt. Harry sighed, pulling off a glove and swiped the sweat off of his brow. He brushed the dirt out of his hair, which had now grown a few inches longer. His hair was just another mystery that Harry spent time thinking about. For as long as he could remember, his hair was exactly the same length. It never grew long and when Aunt Petunia had cut his hair short it had grown back literally overnight. As he contemplated his hair in the hot July sun, he noticed that it was darker than normal, too. Strange. And what were the strange, faint red markings that were appearing on his skin, Harry wondered, as he stared at his arm.

Harry glanced at his watch and saw that several hours had passed since he went outside and that it was now almost time for lunch. Knowing that Uncle Vernon would be coming home for lunch, Harry sighed and headed to the shed to begin mowing the lawn.

-333-

At around the same time, Severus Snape was rushing towards Hogwarts castle from the gates. He had just apparated from his laboratory at his home on Spinner's End and was anxious to meet with the Headmaster. When he reached the gargoyle, he scowled and bit out the password, "Fizzing Whizbee." He took the stairs two at a time and knocked urgently on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Severus, what can I do for you?" said Dumbledore, as he repositioned a glass orb on a silver stand behind his desk. Severus looked around at the Headmaster's desk, shocked by the large pile of broken magical ornaments. Taken aback, Snape asked, "Did you have a Muggle duel in here that I didn't know about?"

With a sad smile, Albus replied, "You could say that. I'm afraid I dealt our dear Mr. Potter quite a shock the last time we met. His anger was quite understandable."

Severus scoffed and mumbled, "Spoiled, attention-seeking brat," under his breath. Before Dumbledore had a chance to admonish the Potions Master, Snape stated, "I'm afraid this is not a social call. I have just finished that potion that the Dark Lord requested. He's planning on using it to bring down the wards sometime shortly after midnight tonight."

Dumbledore walked out from behind his desk and went to the window. He stood silent for several seconds, then drew his wand and conjured a magnificent silver phoenix. He watched it float gracefully and vanish. He then turned to Severus.

"The appropriate contacts have been notified. I know you will not be there tonight when the wards fall, but I wish you luck when you deliver the potion to Tom."

Severus only nodded and began to head towards the door.

"Oh. Severus?" Dumbledore commented. Snape turned back around to face the Headmaster. Dumbledore continued, "Do be sure to stay in the castle for the next few weeks. Tom should not suspect that you gave us forewarning, but if something goes wrong, I would feel better if I knew you were safe here in the castle."

"I shall see you after they have been retrieved," Snape replied and exited the office.

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They encouraged me to get this next chapter out sooner than scheduled. The next chapter will be up probably by Monday. They'll be some action in the next chapter and some (not all) questions will be answered, I promise! Please review!

I still need a beta. Let me know if you're interested!


	3. Destruction of the Wards

_Disclaimer: see Ch. 1._

"My friends! We have grand plans tonight!" The Dark Lord exclaimed. "I can't wait to see the look on Albus Dumbledore's face when we take Harry Potter right out from under his nose!"

The gathered Death Eaters cheered loudly, sparks of color shooting out of their wands in eager anticipation. Suddenly, all cheering stopped and the group grew silent at the sound of apparition. A man with shoulder length black hair and a long, hooked nose came into view. Voldemort greeted the man, "Severus. You are late. I do hope you brought the potion."

"Yes, My Lord," Severus proclaimed as he knelt before Voldemort and rested his forehead on the ground at his master's feet.

"Very well," said Voldemort. Snape took this as his cue to stand. He reached into his robes and handed the Dark Lord a shimmering, deep red potion.

"Thank you, Severus. You may leave us now. Remain away tonight. That old fool can't suspect your role in tonight's events. And remember, if anything goes wrong with this mission, it will be you I blame," Voldemort said, flicking his tongue out over his crooked teeth.

"Yes, my Lord," replied Severus, as he bowed and began to walk away.

"Oh, and Severus…" Snape froze and spun back around to face the Dark Lord. "Never show up late again. _Crucio!_"

-33-

Harry's screams pierced the midnight air as he experienced pain from the _Crucio_ cast on Snape. Suddenly, Harry awoke and jerked upright in his bed, sweaty and out of breath. Harry retrieved his glasses from the nightstand and with shaky movements, put them on.

As he was reflecting on what he just saw, the door to his bedroom flew open and Vernon Dursley appeared at the threshold. "BOY! What did I tell you about waking me up at odd hours of the night! I've had ENOUGH!" Vernon stomped over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and dragged him down the stairs. Harry, still in a daze and breathing heavily, clutched his blanket tighter around himself.

"But Uncle Vernon…" Harry tried to protest.

"NO! I'm tired of this! You're sleeping in the shed. You can wake up the neighborhood all you want with your screams, but I'm tired of losing sleep over YOU!"

Vernon yanked open the front door, shoved Harry out on the stoop, and slammed the door in a stunned Harry's face. He never believed Uncle Vernon would follow through with his threat from earlier that morning. Harry heard the click of the lock being fastened and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He tried the doorknob on the off chance that the door was still unlocked. When it refused to budge, Harry turned and began to head barefoot towards the garden shed.

Suddenly, Harry heard the unmistakable sound of apparition in the distance. He looked up and saw a small pack of Death Eaters, one with long blonde hair peeking out from behind his hood.

"No," breathed Harry. He rushed back to the front door of Number 4, Privet Drive, and began to scream and pound on the door. He looked back over his shoulder and could see Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters approaching. Harry instinctively reached into his pocket for his wand, but realized his wand and all of his other belongings were still upstairs in his trunk.

"Open the door! I need to get help!" Harry pleaded, pounding harder on the door. "OPEN THE DOOR! Uncle Vernon, _PLEASE_!"

Just as Harry was about to ram his whole body into the door, it was yanked open.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Vernon yelled, spittle flying from his mouth.

"They're here!" Harry said, pushing past his mammoth uncle and entering the house.

Vernon looked out the door and slammed it shut, turning back to Harry. "BOY, what are you playing at? Calling your freaky friends on me?" Harry replied, "You don't UNDERSTAND! Those people are Death Eaters and they'll _kill_ you without as much as a second thought!"

The shouting downstairs had finally attracted Petunia and Dudley to the scene. "Dad, what's going on?," asked Dudley as he rubbed at his face. Petunia was pale and looked at Harry. "Did you say Death Eaters are here?"

Before anyone had a chance to respond, there was a loud bang and a crash from inside the fireplace. The three Dursleys screamed and moved to huddle in a corner. Harry moved in front of them.

"Oww, George! I told you to let me go first!"

"I wasn't about to let you show up alone, Fred. You know how dangerous these Muggles can be," George replied with an air of levity. "Okay, ready…one, two three. REDUCTO!"

The Dursleys screamed again and attempted to melt into the walls. Shards of wood and other debris from the boarded up fireplace flew around the room. Before the dust settled, George headed upstairs to get Harry's trunk. Fred turned to Harry and said in an uncharacteristically serious tone, "We have to go. You-Know-Who's found a way to get past the wards. We're safe until he gets here, but he'll be here soon."

As Fred went to grab Harry to escort him to safety, Harry pulled away, saying, "I'm not going anywhere unless you take them first," pointing to the huddled Dursleys. The sudden attention drew Vernon out of his shocked silence. "I remember you _freaks_! Get out of my house before I call the police!"

Wand out, Fred pointed it at Vernon, casting, "_Silencio_." Petunia screamed as he put Vernon under a body-bind curse. Dudley only grabbed tighter to his mother's arm with one hand and clasped the other to his arse.

George returned, levitating Harry's belongings. He shrunk it and put it in his pocket. Fred replied, "Okay, Harry, we have to hurry." Fred grabbed a shocked and surprisingly complacent Petunia while George handled Dudley.

"We'll be right back, Harry. Don't go outside," said George, as he and Dudley flooed away. Fred and Petunia vanished in the green flames a second later.

Harry ran to the window. He could see a huge crowd of Death Eaters now gathered around the edge of the property. They all had their wands at the ready, pointing at the Dursley residence and looking as though they were waiting for someone.

Suddenly, Harry's scar felt like it was on fire. He screamed in pain and spotted Voldemort gliding towards the house.

"NO!" Harry screamed. Voldemort made his way to the crowd of Death Eaters, all of whom bowed and allowed him to walk to the edge of the lawn. He pulled a vial of dark red liquid out of thin air, uncorked it, and threw it at the house. There was a loud crash that sounded like metal smashing and Harry covered his ears. As the sound reverberated through the house, it shook, causing expensive china and figurines to fall and shatter. Dishes crashed to the floor in the kitchen and there was a loud crash upstairs as more items fell to the ground.

Harry looked back out the window. Voldemort moved forward, now able to step freely onto the lawn without wards preventing him from doing so, and Harry saw Dumbledore apparate. He looked angry, angrier than Harry had ever seen him. Dumbledore immediately started dueling with Voldemort. More Order members arrived and soon a battle was occurring on the once meticulous lawn of Number Four, Privet Drive.

Fred and George both returned. George muttered a curse under his breath as he saw the battle had already begun outside. He grabbed the stunned Vernon without a word and flooed away. Fred ran over to Harry just as Harry spotted a familiar face fighting with what looked like Fenrir Greyback. "Remus!" Harry shouted and made a move to go outside.

"No, Harry!" shouted Fred. "We need to go NOW! They'll all return to Hogwarts once you do." Fred dragged a resistant Harry back to the fireplace. He tossed a handful of floo powder into the flames, put a hand on a phoenix ornament attached to a chain around his neck, and bellowed the destination and password, "Hogwarts. Sanctuary!"

As the green flames engulfed Fred and Harry, Harry's scar seared and he saw the front door blast open, Voldemort's evil red eyes staring straight back at him.

When they landed in the Headmaster's office, Fred let go of Harry's arm and Harry fell to his knees, one hand grasping at his scar. He hated using the Floo and the pain from Voldemort's appearance did not help. Harry took a deep breath, stood up, and took his first look around the office.

"Graceful as always, Potter," he heard someone sneer to his right.

Turning, Harry looked at the person who spoke. "_You_! What are **you** doing here?" he growled.

-33-

**A/N:** I held a human heart and lungs today in anatomy lab. How cool is that?!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter! They'll be more Harry and Snape in the next chapter. Thank you everyone who added me or this fic to their alerts and helped me reach over 1000 hits! I never knew how motivating reviews are until I started getting them!

I'd love to hear what you'd like to see in this fic; I've already decided to add more of the twins based on the feedback I've gotten. Please review!! I still could use a beta reader! Anyone interested?


	4. Dealing with the Dursleys

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1._

"What are _you _doing here?" Harry growled, ignoring the tension of the current situation and instead directing his sudden anger to his least favorite professor.

"What I do is not your concern, Potter," Snape replied, spitting out Harry's surname like it was a curse.

Fred and George, watching the scene with wide eyes, turned and smirked at each other. They noted that Harry was about to retort and stepped in to prevent their friend from saying something stupid.

"Whoa, ickle Harrykins!" said Fred. Harry jumped, noticing the presence of the others in the room for the first time. George was standing next to Vernon, who was still petrified and silenced. He was acutely aware of the situation, though, as indicated by his fire red complexion and roaming eyes that threatened murder the second he was released.

"Our esteemed Potions Master is here waiting for the Order to arrive," stated George. "Speaking of arrivals," Fred continued, "we all should probably head up to Gryffindor Tower. They should start returning soon and we wouldn't want these three," George said, pointing to the Dursleys, "getting in the way."

"What? No, I want to stay!" Harry exclaimed. "I need to know what's going on."

Snape scoffed. "You most definitely will not be staying. You will be called _if_ your illustrious presence is required, which I highly doubt."

Harry took this moment to look around the room. He knew that it was no use arguing with Snape, especially with their mutual hatred. He saw Dudley standing slightly behind his mother, one hand loosely covering his bottom, performing an excellent impression of a rhinoceros hiding behind an acacia tree. The acacia tree, otherwise known as his aunt, had such a surprising expression on her face that Harry was momentarily taken aback. She was not shaking in fear, as he had expected, but glaring at Snape with unmasked hatred. Harry had assumed that face was only reserved for him and the occasional stubborn stain. He looked between Petunia and Snape, who was also now staring back at Petunia.

"Do you two know each other?" Harry asked, not believing what he was seeing.

Petunia turned towards Harry, her expression fierce, as she pointed and started to say, "That _man_," but was promptly cut off by Snape. "Potter, it's none of your business. Haven't you learned enough about sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?" Snape stepped close enough to Harry that he could feel Snape's hot breath on his cheek and sneered, "Why, one could say that you must be _dogged_ by memories of recent events."

Harry was furious. He knew that Snape was referring to Sirius. Harry reached into his pocket for his wand, and upon realizing that it was currently inside of his trunk, decided to use muggle methods to get his message across. He reached forward and grabbed the front of Snape's robes, pushed him up against the wall, and yelled, "Don't you DARE mention Sirius!"

Fred and George each took out their wands, preparing to break up the impending fight between Harry and Snape. Harry was breathing heavily and Snape's expression turned furious. Just as Snape 

was reaching into his robes for his wand, the fireplace roared green and Albus Dumbledore stepped out.

Seeing Harry and Severus ready to duel each other in his office, Dumbledore bellowed, "That's _enough_!" They both moved apart swiftly, each still looking angry but now focusing their attention on Dumbledore. Looking weary, Albus looked between the two. "I am disappointed in you both. We do not have time for petty arguments, especially tonight."

Harry and Snape both appeared apologetic, but Harry spoke up, "he insulted Sirius!" Snape responded smugly, "I did no such thing." Dumbledore stepped between the two and replied, "We shall discuss this later. Right now, there are some things that all of you need to know."

Harry's anger melted and was replaced with fear. "What happened? Is anyone hurt? Is Remus okay?"

Dumbledore raised a hand to halt Harry's rapid questioning. "Yes, Harry, Remus is fine. He is currently being escorted to St. Mungo's by Ms. Tonks. He was hit by two curses that merged in midair, causing him to develop a bad case of biting boils. Apparently, mixing a _Furnunculus _curse with a biting hex causes large boils complete with pointy teeth to form. Spell reversal should be able to sort him out and he'll be coming to Hogwarts in a day or two, as long as the boils haven't bitten off any appendages."

Harry made a disgusted face, while the twins started whispering to each other, no doubt discussing ways to market a new "biting boils" gag. Dumbledore continued, "There were a few more severe injuries, but everyone is expected to make a full recovery." The Order is currently modifying the memories of Muggles that happened to view tonight's events." Looking towards the twins and Snape, he said, "We will be meeting here in a few hours."

Dumbledore turned to the portrait of Dilys Derwent and asked, "Dilys, can you go to your portrait in St. Mungo's and keep me informed?" The woman in the portrait nodded and left the frame. Noticing the portraits for the first time, Dudley screamed and pushed himself further against his mother. "Mum! Those pictures are moving!" One of the painted men replied, "Of course we move! What are you dim?"

Dudley squeaked and Dumbledore turned to the painting and with a tired expression, stated, "Phineas, please. You are not helping the situation." He then turned to the Dursleys.

"Hello again, Petunia." She did not respond, but nodded slightly to the Headmaster. "This must be young Dudley and your husband, Vernon. It is a pleasure to meet you both. I do wish the circumstances were better."

Albus turned to Fred and George, "Boys, if you would be so kind as to remove the silencing and binding spells from Mr. Dursley."

Harry covered his ears in preparation for his uncle's tirade. He missed Snape's amused look as the spell was lifted. Vernon immediately stalked towards Harry, who had backed up against the wall and was staring wide eyed at Vernon, moving his hands from his ears to in front of his face. Harry 

hadn't expected Vernon to try anything while in the presence of wizards, but apparently Vernon's anger was stronger than his common sense.

"You!" Vernon screamed as he grabbed Harry by the collar. He did not get a chance to finish his murderous plans as Dumbledore silently sent a stinging hex at Vernon's wrists.

Vernon yelped, yanking his hands off of Harry. Snape had his wand out, but was content to watch the drama in front of him and let the Headmaster handle the out of control muggle. "What are you playing at?" Vernon shrieked at Harry, afraid to touch him again in fear of another shock.

He heard the twins chuckle and Vernon quickly waddled towards them, saying, "I'll have you two arrested! Breaking and entering, kidnapping…" Seeing Dumbledore, he trailed off and turned his attention to the elder wizard. "And you! You must be the head _freak_ of this _freak_ school! Return me and my family at once or I'll press charges against all of you!"

Changing tactics, Vernon continued, "Keep the boy! We didn't want him in the first place and we certainly don't want him ANYMORE!" He enunciated every word, as though Albus was senile and hard of hearing.

"Vernon," Petunia said sternly. She was fully aware of what wizards, especially Albus Dumbledore, could do, and didn't want to see Vernon get hurt. He stopped talking and turned to his wife. Something about the look in her face and the scared, yet curious, expression on Dudley's face made his temper cool slightly.

"I'm going back to my home with my family," Vernon stated firmly.

Dumbledore chose this moment to intervene. "I'm afraid, Mr. Dursley, that that is not an option."

Vernon's temper returned as he demanded, "What do you mean, _not an option_? Wave your little sticks and send us HOME!"

Dumbledore was adverse to using spells on muggles, especially mind control spells. At this point, he felt a mild calming charm was necessary, for both the safety of his ears and the safety of Vernon. He knew that the man likely had high blood pressure and did not want him to have a cardiac episode in his office. He had enough trouble with the Ministry as it was, without adding a dead muggle in Hogwarts to his list of problems. He wandlessly cast a mild version of the cheering charm on Vernon and replied, "Your home suffered some structural, fire, and subsequent water damage. We were able to save or repair the majority of your possessions; however, your house remains uninhabitable."

Vernon was uncharacteristically speechless, probably due more to the spell than the shocking information. Dudley, who's bravery had increased enough for him to step slightly from his mother and begin examining the office, shouted, "What about my things? My Playstation and computer must be ruined! You can't get that stuff _wet_!"

"Dudley, your possessions are indeed safe. We cast an _Impervius _spell over the electronics, papers, and furniture to prevent any water damage," Albus replied.

While this information quelled Dudley, Petunia was not as satisfied. "You cast _magic_ on items inside my _home_? I will not have bewitched things! I've done my best to keep that unnaturalness out of my home and won't let you bring it back in!"

Albus sighed and ran a hand over his face. "My, my, Petunia. I had hoped that your jealousy—,"

"I'm not jealous!" Petunia cut in.

Albus raised a hand and continued, "As I was saying, I had hoped that your resentment had declined over the years, but I suppose that was too much to hope for. Your possessions are safe and I will personally guarantee that all enchantments are removed from each object returned to your home. However, I had hoped that you cared more for your nephew than you do for your knick-knacks."

Albus looked towards Harry and continued with a chill emanating from him, "When I was in your home tonight, I saw some stark differences between how you treated Harry compared to your son. While you did provide him with a roof over his head, I had hoped that you would have treated Harry like a son. Instead, you have treated Harry like a common servant. I saw the locks on the door and the cat flap!"

Petunia had the conscience to look ashamed and Harry turned red. He did not want his life with the Dursleys discussed out in the open, especially in front of Snape. Harry glanced in his direction to see Snape staring at him with an inscrutable expression. Harry quickly looked away and turned towards the twins. Fred and George were looking at him with pity, but judging by their clenched fists they were already thinking of ways to get back at the Dursleys for their mistreatment of Harry. Harry shook his head and focused his attention back on the Headmaster's conversation.

"What if Lily had taken in Dudley? Would she have treated your son like you have treated Harry these past fifteen years?"

"How _dare_ you compare me to _precious _Lily!" Petunia shouted. Perfect, Lily, who could do no wrong! She was the one who got herself killed and left me the burden of dealing with her _freaky _offspring!"

Vernon, upon seeing his wife upset, walked towards her and replied to Dumbledore, "Now you leave my wife alone!" Dudley had turned pale, as though realizing for the first time the injustice of Harry's situation. He turned to his parents and to the utter shock of all in the room, yelled, "Dad!" and grabbed a hold of his arm. "Listen, Mr. Double Door," he said to the Headmaster, causing the twins to snicker. "Maybe how we treated Harry wasn't the best, but there's nothing we can do about it now, seeing as we're all homeless."

Looking stunned at Dudley, both Vernon and Petunia stood with their mouths open. Dumbledore's eyes regained a bit of their twinkle and he replied, "Thank you for admitting your past indiscretions." Turning to look at Harry, Dumbledore, "I hope that you will treat your cousin better in the future, Dudley." Harry was even more shocked than Vernon and Petunia. He pinched himself on the arm, thinking that this must be a dream. He and the Dursleys were at Hogwarts and Dudley had nearly admitted his horrible treatment towards Harry over the years. As Harry hissed in pain from his pinch, Snape snorted and Harry glared at him.

Dumbledore was still talking, "…are not homeless, seeing as I have found temporary housing for all of you."

-33-

**A/N: Please review!** It motivates me to get more chapters out sooner. Also, I don't have a **beta reader**, so if anyone's interested, please let me know!!

Thanks everyone who added me to their alerts or reviewed! Let me know what you think so far. Any suggestions or comments are welcome! Next chapter, you'll find out where the Dursleys will stay and see some more Snape and Harry!


	5. About A Boy

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1_

Dumbledore sighed and continued, "I'm afraid the only place safe enough for you all at the moment is here at Hogwarts."

"NO!" shouted Uncle Vernon.

Aunt Petunia shrieked, "I will _not_ stay anywhere near these three _thugs_!" She waved her bony arm to indicate Snape and the twins. Snape glared at her and crossed his arms, while George smiled and mouthed the word "thugs?" to Fred. They both seemed to take it as a huge compliment. Pointing to Snape, Aunt Petunia continued, "You know what horrible things he is capable of! I won't allow my family to stay here with such repulsive people. She waved her arm towards the twins, "My Diddy was already cursed by these _two_ and that giant of a man! I won't allow that to happen again!"

Harry watched as Dudley paled and abruptly checked his bottom. Harry remembered the pig's tail and figured he must be checking for signs of magical tampering. Harry saw Snape smirk at the sight as Harry covered his own laugh with a cough and the Weasleys laughed, not bothering to hide their amusement.

For the first time, Snape addressed Aunt Petunia, "If you think what we do is bad, it is _nothing_ compared to what the Dark Lord will do if he finds your family."

"I am fully aware of what he'll do! Don't think I didn't hear the stories!" she responded.

Snape's face darkened, "If you truly care about your family's safety, then I suggest you _do as you're told_."

Aunt Petunia was livid. "I don't think you should be telling me what the right thing to do is, Severus, especially after what you've done…"

She was cut off as Dumbledore cleared his throat. Snape was angrier than Harry had ever seen him. His aunt was breathing heavily and the twins had conjured some sweets and were eating some Sugar Quills as they sat and watched the show. Harry was in stunned. She had just called Snape 'Severus'! 'How did she know his name?' Harry wondered. Uncle Vernon and Dudley were looking at Aunt Petunia in shock and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as she realized she had just admitted knowledge of the wizarding world.

Harry's curiosity got the best of him as he spoke up, "How do you know each other?"

His question was ignored as Uncle Vernon turned to Dumbledore and said stubbornly, "Look what you've _done_ to my wife!"

The Headmaster calmly replied, "I have your family's best interest at heart, Mr. Dursley. It is unfortunate that you cannot return home today, but you will be back there in no more than one month's time, if not sooner. Plus, Mr. Dursley, you will be fully compensated for your trouble.

Uncle Vernon's anger miraculously fled at the sound of money. "Compensation?" he asked, in an artificially polite voice.

"Of course," replied Dumbledore. "I'm sure we can come up with a mutually acceptable amount tomorrow, that is, if you agree to reside in the castle until your home is repaired."

Aunt Petunia seemed to calm at the thought of money and even Dudley seemed excited. Harry was imagining that at that moment, visions of new computer games were flashing through Dudley's miniscule mind.

Uncle Vernon turned to his wife, "Well, Pet, this does sound like the only way. I wouldn't want to see Marge get hurt if we want to stay with her."

"Okay," said Petunia, nodding in agreement.

Vernon turned to Dumbledore and replied, "Okay, we'll stay." The Headmaster's eyes twinkled as though he was pleased with his negotiation skills. "However," Vernon continued, "I have two conditions."

Professor Dumbledore replied, "As long as they are reasonable, Mr. Dursley, I will do my best."

"I want these freaks," Vernon stated, indicating Fred, George, and Snape, "to stay away from my family." Dumbledore nodded, "You have my word, right gentlemen?"

Harry watched as Fred and George nodded, although looking thoroughly depressed; and Snape replied, "Of course, Headmaster."

Dumbledore immediately pulled out his wand and conjured his Patronus. The Dursleys all jumped in shock as a sparkling white phoenix appeared from the tip of his wand. He stared at it in silent conversation and the bird flew off through the office door. "What was your other request, Mr. Dursley?"

Uncle Vernon's anger sparked as he turned to Harry. "I don't want the _boy_ staying anywhere near us. Since he's returned, he's already woken us all up at odd hours of the night with his screaming and I'm TIRED of it!"

Everyone in the room turned to Harry, who wanted nothing more than to disappear beneath his invisibility cloak. He could feel that his face was red from embarrassment and he stared down at his slippers, not wanting to see the twins' sympathetic faces nor Snape's piercing stare. Harry couldn't bring himself to look Dumbledore in the eye either.

The Headmaster's face turned grim as he looked at Harry. "Mr. Dursley, Harry has his own room here at Hogwarts. You will be several floors apart and will likely only catch glimpses of each other during meal times."

The Dursleys seemed to approve, so Dumbledore gestured to the Weasleys. "Gentlemen, thank you both for your help tonight. If you both would kindly inform your family of the meeting, I would appreciate it." The twins nodded to the Headmaster and said goodbye to Harry before each grabbing a handful of floo powder and returning to the Burrow.

As the green flame swept the twins away, there was a knock on the Headmaster's door. "Come in, Minerva," he replied.

"You called for me, Albus?" asked Minerva as she noticed the Dursleys and glared at the three of them. She saw Harry and asked, "How are you, Mr. Potter?"

"I'm fine, Professor," Harry responded. Minerva nodded and turned back to Dumbledore. "Minerva, if you could please escort the Dursleys to their new quarters off of the Great Hall. _Kindly_ explain to them about mealtimes," he remarked, leaving Harry to wonder why he felt the need to emphasize the word kindly.

Professor McGonagall nodded, "Very well, Albus." Turning to the Dursleys, "If you would all follow me." As the four of them left, Harry could hear McGonagall say, "…room will be off of the Great Hall, where you will eat…"

Finally, with just Harry and Snape left in his office, turned to the Potions Master. "Severus, please get me a Dreamless Sleep potion and come back up here with it." Severus nodded, glancing at Harry and leaving the office.

"Harry, please have a seat," said Dumbledore as he sat behind his desk and conjured tea for two. As Harry took his seat, Dumbledore sighed. He looked across to Harry, who noticed that the Headmaster looked older than he'd ever seen him. 'At least he's looking me in the eyes now,' Harry thought, as he waited for the Headmaster to speak.

The Professor cleared his throat and said, "Harry, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for my actions."

Harry was surprised. He expected to be rebuked for his earlier fight with Snape. "Sir?" Harry replied questioningly.

He took off his glasses, rubbed his tired eyes, and replaced his spectacles. "I did not realize the extent to which Petunia's jealousy would affect you."

Curious, Harry asked, "Why would she be jealous?"

"I suppose I should explain it to you so you understand my decision to have you placed in her care," Dumbledore replied.

Harry was confused. "Sir? I thought we were talking about my aunt?"

"Yes, well, you see, Harry, when Petunia and your mother were young, they enjoyed, like all children, playing with other children their own age. However, there was only one other child close to their age that lived nearby. This young boy kept to himself and refused to play with your mother and her sister, preferring to watch from the sidelines while he read. For nearly an entire summer they saw the boy at the playground and encouraged him to play with them, only to receive glares in response. The boy was very shy and hated being different. He believed that if he played with the two girls, they would discover that he was different and pick on him. At least from a distance he could pretend that they all were friends."

"Then one day Lily and Petunia were playing tag. As Lily chased her sister, Petunia tripped over one of her loose shoelaces and fell, cutting her arm. Petunia was upset and in pain and Lily was crying and terrified that she would get in trouble for playing too roughly. The quiet, lonely boy was there that day and saw the blood. He got up from his book and went over to the girls to see what he could do to help."

Dumbledore paused to take a sip of tea. "As he approached, he saw the cut on Petunia's arm. He glanced over to Lily and saw that she too was staring at the cut. As he watched Lily and Petunia, he saw that the cut was slowly getting smaller. Within a few seconds, he couldn't see the gash anymore, nor could he see a scar. Petunia was still crying in shock, but Lily was looking at Petunia's arm in amazement. The boy, however, was now intensely interested in Lily. He knew she was different just like he was. He knew he was a wizard, but grew up with a very stern father. His father was a muggle and forbade him to associate with other magical children, but now he had found someone he could relate to."

"The boy used a handkerchief to clean off the blood from Petunia's arm and both young girls stared at him, surprised that the odd boy was helping them and acting as though a disappearing wound was normal. From that day on, the boy and the two girls were inseparable. He had explained magic to the girls and told them everything he knew about the wizarding world."

Harry was too interested in hearing about his mother to interrupt and hung on the Headmaster's every word. "When Lily and the boy turned eleven, they both received letters to attend Hogwarts. Petunia was devastated that she could not attend the wizarding school as well. She wrote me a letter and begged me to allow her to come along." Dumbledore paused and chuckled, "She even told me she could come and work in the kitchens or help clean in exchange for being able to go to classes."

Harry couldn't help but smile and laugh. He pictured a young, horse necked girl washing dishes in a sink as the house elves bounced around her feet. That was something Harry wished he could see.

"Anyway," Dumbledore continued, "Petunia was indeed a muggle with no magical talents and I could not allow such a child to come to Hogwarts. I wrote her a letter in response and checked up on Petunia occasionally over the next few years to see how she was doing. She grew more and more envious of Lily as each year went by. She heard about the fantastic stories and wished that she could be the one returning home with adventurous tales of ghosts and giant squids."

"Meanwhile, the boy from the playground and your mother became inseparable. They often studied together in the library and it crossed my mind occasionally if one day they would become sweethearts."

Harry perked up at the thought of this young boy's identity and asked, "Was he my father?"

He chuckled, "No, the boy was not James Potter."

Harry was confused and wanted to ask more, but Dumbledore continued with the story. "The friendship, I believe, did not survive beyond Hogwarts. The young man was not treated well by his fellow classmates. After one incident, your mother attempted to stand up for him and in his embarrassment the boy called her a foul name. Lily was devastated that her friend attacked her muggle heritage and wrote home to Petunia. From what I saw, Petunia was very sensitive about being a muggle and believed that the boy was insulting her as well."

Harry interrupted the Headmaster's explanation once more. "Please, sir, if the boy wasn't my father, can't you tell me who he is?" Harry was eager for anything he could learn about his parents. He knew that this boy would know lots about his mother and knew that he might be able to give him the information that he craved.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you his name," Dumbledore replied. Harry tried to protest, but before he could, the Headmaster continued, "One of the conditions of my viewing the memories was that I was never to reveal his identity. I'm sorry, Harry, but as much as I'd like to, I simply cannot betray the trust of this young man."

Harry replied, "I understand," but he was determined to find out who he was, even if that meant investigating on his own.

Dumbledore continued, "As I was saying, both Petunia and Lily were hurt by the boy's impulsive insult and the friendship between the three of them came to an end. I think that the loss of the friendship caused Petunia to feel even more rejected."

"See, Harry, I had believed that Petunia had found love in Vernon." Harry choked on his tea, amazed that anyone would truly love his uncle. Dumbledore vanished the spilt tea off of his desk and continued, "I thought that she would have realized that she didn't need magic to be happy and that she had abandoned most of her childhood jealousy against Lily. I believed that in her happiness with her new family, Petunia would no longer feel rejected or resent her sister and that she would treat Lily's son as her own. I'm afraid I was wrong."

"I am truly sorry, Harry. Had I known that your presence in the Dursley's home would bring back Petunia's feelings of ineptness and resentment, I would not have left you with them."

"What about the blood wards," Harry asked.

"The wards did give you extra protection, but if I made the effort, I could have provided you with a loving family. I could have protected you with magical means and I could have given you a happy childhood," Dumbledore responded. Harry thought about how horrible it was to live with the Dursleys and grew angry with Dumbledore. He opened his mouth to yell at the Headmaster, but was shocked into silence by seeing a tear trickle down Dumbledore's face and into his beard.

"I have made so many mistakes with you, Harry. I have withheld so much from you and I want you to know that that will stop. You know about the prophecy, but there is more to the story that I have not told you about."

Harry got a bad feeling in his stomach at the idea the thought and asked, "There isn't another prophecy, is there?"

Dumbledore replied, "No, Harry. I'm afraid it's more complicated than that. As you know, Voldemort is obsessed with immortality. While he was at school here, Tom began researching a very ancient and dark form of magic that allows a person to get closer to everlasting life. Every time a person kills another, a part of their soul is torn, for murder will slowly damage a person's core until they are left broken. Tom discovered that he could use this knowledge to create horcruxes in which the torn pieces of one's soul can be stored in important objects. As long as the object and in turn the soul piece is not destroyed, that person will continue to exist even if the body is damaged or destroyed."

Harry paled as Dumbledore told him about horcruxes. "So," he replied, "Voldemort created one of these horcruxes and that is how he was able to return in the graveyard?"

"Yes, Harry, that is part of it. I'm afraid that Tom Riddle took his knowledge of horcruxes to the extreme. I believe he did not create one horcrux but seven."

Dumbledore paused here as Harry shouted, "Seven! How am I supposed to defeat someone who can just keep coming back?" Harry was breathing heavily and was trying his best to control his fear and his anger.

"Harry, you can defeat him because you are not alone," Dumbledore retorted fiercely. Harry saw Dumbledore reach his hand towards him, as though wanting to comfort him, but Dumbledore must have decided against it and instead laid his wrinkled hand on the desk. "We will find and destroy the horcruxes together and I will do everything in my power to help you survive this war. I _promise_ you that I will not fail you again! All I can ask from you is that I sincerely hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day."

Harry was torn between resentment and compassion. He knew that the Headmaster was remorseful, but couldn't help think about how Dumbledore's secrecy contributed to Sirius's death. If Dumbledore had told him about the prophecy and horcruxes sooner, he wouldn't have rushed to the ministry to rescue Sirius. Harry did blame himself; there was no doubt about that. Between the frequent visions from Voldemort that plagued his sleep, Harry saw Sirius in his nightmares, staring back at him with the same stunned expression he had on his face the night he fell through the veil. And now he had seven bits of Voldemort's evil soul to battle!

Before Harry could respond to Dumbledore's comments, there was a knock at the door and the third person whose image haunted his sleep entered the office.

"The potion, Headmaster," Snape replied as he handed over a small glass vial of Dreamless Sleep potion. Snape must have noticed the sadness in Dumbledore's face because he turned his focus off of the Headmaster and instead focused his gaze on Harry.

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore replied, as the previous emotions left his face. "If you could take a seat, there is something that the both of you need to know."

**A/N:** First, I'd like to thank my _amazing _new beta, boushh! Sorry this chapter was a bit late, but the next one will definitely be up before the end of May. Updates will be much more frequent after that. Thanks to all who reviewed or put this fic on their alerts. **Please review** and let me know what you think!!


	6. Defense Against the Snape?

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1_

Harry watched as Snape walked towards the other chair in front of the Headmaster's desk and slid it almost a meter away from Harry before taking a seat. Harry shook his head at Snape's behavior and turned his attention back towards the Headmaster.

"Sherbet lemon, Severus?" Dumbledore asked as he popped one of the sweets into his mouth.

Snape merely shook his head once and silently waited for Dumbledore to speak.

The Headmaster crossed his hands and looked at both Snape and Harry over his half-moon spectacles. "I know the situation tonight was stressful, but I am appalled by the behavior of the both of you." Harry saw Dumbledore's expression soften. "I have enough to deal with without worrying about an attempted murder occurring in my office," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

Harry sat on the edge of his chair, ready to spring out of his seat. "He started it!" Harry replied, pointing to Snape. "He insulted Sirius!"

Snape retorted, "I did no such thing! The boy overreacts! He obviously cannot control his emotions and acts before thinking, putting everyone else in danger."

Harry roared, "It's _his_ fault Sirius is dead! He harassed him and made him feel useless!"

Before Snape could retort, the Headmaster raised his hand and growled, "_Enough!_"

Both Harry and Snape grew silent. Harry was breathing heavily and saw that Snape looked just as furious. Without realizing it, Harry saw that they both were holding their wands and standing next to their chairs, which had been knocked to the ground.

"Sit down," Dumbledore said with force. Harry could feel the power radiating off of Dumbledore as he pocketed his wand, picked up his chair, and sat down.

"We cannot afford such petty enmity in our ranks! Severus, you are the adult here. I have watched you project your hatred of James and his friends onto Harry. I wish you could see past his appearance and realize that he is not his father."

Snape looked furious. "Of course he's like his father! He's always breaking the rules, flaunting his arrogance and acting like a spoiled, pampered Gryffindor!"

Harry stood up from his chair and shouted, "Spoiled! Pampered! That's rich. You were _here_! You _saw_ just how my relatives _pampered_ me over the years!"

Harry stopped, realizing what he just said. He sat back down and looked away to avoid the curious expression on Snape's face.

Dumbledore sighed, "Harry, one of your best qualities is how you defend those you love. However, you have to learn when it is advantageous to do so. It is admirable that you would want to defend your godfather, but what good will come of arguing? You need to learn to control your actions and think before acting impulsively."

He continued, "Sirius's death is no one's fault except Voldemort's. He tricked you into going to the Ministry and it was his actions that ultimately resulted in your godfather's death. I know you are upset, but you must realize that Sirius was a grown man fully capable of making his own decisions. No one forced him to leave Headquarters, including Professor Snape. As you know, the animosity between the two of them started long ago. While I am not condoning Severus's taunting, Sirius was not one to hold back insults, either."

Dumbledore sighed, looking old and tired. "Sirius was worried about you, Harry. Short of magically binding him to Grimmauld Place, I'm afraid there was little anyone could do to keep him from coming to your aid."

"I know," Harry muttered. "It's all my fault."

Dumbledore leaned forward. "What's your fault, Harry?"

Surprised that he said that out loud, Harry looked up and replied, "Nothing. Sorry, sir, I was just thinking."

Dumbledore looked like he wanted to continue to question him, but Harry was glad when he changed the subject. "I need the two of you to put aside your differences and work together. I'm not naïve enough to think that you both will become friends," Dumbledore said.

His words caused Snape to snort and mutter, "Not in this lifetime."

Dumbledore continued, "What I do expect is that the two of you will act civilly towards one another. You are both two of the most valuable people in the war against Voldemort and I will no longer tolerate this childish behavior."

Harry felt embarrassed and noticed that Snape was staring at the top of the Headmaster's desk, looking uncomfortable.

Dumbledore looked from Snape to Harry. "Gentlemen, do I have your word that you will both behave better in the future?"

Simultaneously, Snape and Harry replied, "Yes, Headmaster." Harry and Snape looked disgustedly at each other, but Harry noticed the twinkle returned to Dumbledore's eyes.

"Very good, very good!" Dumbledore exclaimed, clapping his hands twice. He continued, "Now onto more pressing matters. Severus, I told Harry about the horcruxes."

Harry interrupted, "How could you tell him!"

Dumbledore replied with an air of finality in his voice, "Professor Snape's help has been vital in helping to determine the location of the horcruxes."

"Sorry, sir," Harry replied.

"I understand, Harry. I know old habits are hard to change," commented Dumbledore.

"As I was saying, now that Harry is aware of the situation, it is important that he receives training."

"No," replied Snape gruffly.

"Severus, it is not a request," Dumbledore responded. "You are the best man for the job."

Harry watched as Snape glared back at the Headmaster for a few moments, only to let out a deep breath and reply none too kindly, "Need I remind you how the last Occlumency lessons went?"

Dumbledore did not reply verbally, but Harry could tell by the way the two men were staring at each other that some type of communication was taking place.

Several minutes later, Harry watched as Snape grudgingly responded, "Very well, Headmaster."

Confused, Harry asked, "What's going on?"

Dumbledore turned to Harry. "Harry, Professor Snape, along with Remus Lupin, will be instrumental in training you in defense and Occlumency to be ready for what lies ahead."

"No!" Harry shouted, mimicking Snape's earlier outburst. "Can't you or Remus teach me?"

"Harry, I have the utmost faith in Severus. He has knowledge of the inner workings of Voldemort's organization that will be invaluable to you in the future. There are simply things that he can teach you that Remus and even I cannot. I am sure that the both of you can behave better than you have previously. I know I've failed you in the past, but you need to trust me on this, Harry."

Reluctantly, Harry acquiesced, knowing that no matter how much he protested, the Headmaster would still insist that he take lessons from Snape.

"Headmaster," said Snape. "To prevent a repeat of last year's _incident_," Snape paused, looking Harry in the eyes, "there are some rules Mr. Potter must follow. I will not tolerate insolence. He must show up on time, prepared for the day's lessons, and follow all of my instructions. He is to respect my privacy, or I will be forced to cancel any further lessons."

"Hey!" Harry interrupted. "If I have to respect him, he has to show me respect, too!"

Snape turned towards Harry and responded icily, "I give respect to those who have earned it. I will endeavor to treat you with respect as soon as you deserve it, though I can't imagine that will be anytime soon."

Remembering the promise he made to Dumbledore earlier, Harry decided to change his approach and responded sweetly, his words laced with sarcasm, "Why certainly, _Sir_, I wouldn't have expected you to behave any other way!"

Snape glared at Harry as Fawkes flew off of his perch and landed beside the Headmaster. Harry watched as he nudged Dumbledore's arm. "Thank you, Fawkes," Dumbledore replied as he rubbed a finger along Fawkes's head and glanced at his watch.

"Gentlemen, it is getting very late and I'm afraid that as much as I'm enjoying our conversation, I must insist that we retire for the evening."

Dumbledore grabbed a potion vile and handed it to Harry. "Take this Dreamless Sleep tonight, Harry. I'm sure you could use it, especially after tonight's close call."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Harry replied. "But where will I sleep?"

Dumbledore responded, "Harry, you may stay in Gryffindor Tower. In honor of the Weasley twins' ingenious application of magical theory, the password is Portable Swamp. Good night, Harry. Severus."

Snape nodded and replied, "Headmaster."

"Night, Professor," Harry said to Dumbledore as he followed Snape out of the office.

Harry trailed behind Snape and remained silent. As they both reached the stairs, Snape stopped abruptly and turned around.

"Potter. Report to the Defense classroom tomorrow at three. Do _not_ be late," he growled at Harry.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Harry smirked back as he continued towards Gryffindor Tower. Snape had already turned around and was descending the stairs. Harry sighed, "I can't wait until tomorrow."

-333-

Harry woke up late the next day. He didn't bother to set his alarm and felt like catching up on some sleep. He yawned and stretched in his bed, doing an excellent impression of Hermione's cat, Crookshanks. Harry's stomach growled and he looked at the clock. Realizing it was nearly noon, Harry got up, got dressed, and made his way to the Great Hall.

As Harry approached, he could already hear the voice of his uncle, who had obviously already managed to find something to complain about. Harry, however, was not expecting what he saw when he entered. Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and the Headmaster were all present, as were all of the Dursleys. His aunt looked frazzled and Dudley looked a bit shocked, but it was Uncle Vernon's appearance that caused Harry to burst out in laughter.

Uncle Vernon looked furious. He was covered from head to toe in various food items. Apparently, they would be dining on split pea soup that afternoon, as Harry could make out little bits of peas and ham in his uncle's hair. He watched as the green liquid slid down Uncle Vernon's face to pool onto the floor. Chocolate pudding was smeared on the front of his rotund belly and little specks of corn had worked their way into his moustache.

Everyone in the hall turned to look at Harry.

"Boy! This is all your fault!" roared Uncle Vernon.

Harry found it hard to be intimidated by the slovenly man, especially since he was standing in a room with his three professors.

"How could I have done this?" Harry asked, his voice still cheerful. "I just woke up."

Professor McGonagall stepped in, "Mr. Dursley, as we've explained to you before, Hogwarts kitchens are manned by servants. These mistakes are quite common and easy to remedy."

Harry looked questioningly at Professor McGonagall, who's stern expression of warning told Harry to keep quiet. Harry knew that Professor McGonagall was lying since there had never been a similar incident in his five years at Hogwarts. If Harry did know that the elves were capable of such a display, he would have gotten Dobby to plan a special breakfast surprise for Draco Malfoy.

"I will _not_ consent to you using any more magic on me!" Uncle Vernon declared.

Dumbledore interjected, "I assure you, Mr. Dursley, we can have your clothes and person clean in one second, if you would permit me to do so."

Suddenly, Snape stepped forward. "Enough of this nonsense." Faster than Harry thought possible, Snape drew his wand, pointed it at Uncle Vernon, and said, "_Evanesco_."

For the first time in his life, Harry saw Uncle Vernon speechless. Dudley was standing with his mouth open, looking impressed, while Aunt Petunia looked envious. Harry would have been confused by her expression, but he knew that if his aunt had been magical like she had hoped, this would have been her favorite spell.

Aunt Petunia spoke up, "We've done everything that you've asked of us. If we have to stay _here_, from now on we'll be eating in our rooms. I won't let my family be subjected to any more of this unnaturalness."

Uncle Vernon regained his voice, "Petunia's right. We've sacrificed enough and I won't stand for it!" Focusing on Dumbledore, Uncle Vernon continued, spittle flying out of his mouth, "You see to it that our meals are hand delivered to our rooms!"

Without waiting for a response, Uncle Vernon waddled over to Aunt Petunia and grabbed her hand. "Let's go, dear. Come along, Dudders."

Dudley trailed behind his furious parents, but stopped at the table full of food and grabbed a large portion of chocolate pudding and some biscuits on his way out.

Once the Dursleys had left the hall, Professor McGonagall complained, "Those people! They must be the foulest Muggles I have ever met!"

Harry saw that Professors Snape and Dumbledore looked to be in agreement. He spoke up, "Sir, what happened to Uncle Vernon?"

"That, Harry, is probably best explained by one of your friends. Dobby!" Dumbledore called.

With a crack, Dobby appeared before the Headmaster. Harry saw that Dobby was wearing less clothing, probably because it was summer. However, he still had on four of Hermione's knitted hats, Ron's sweater, Harry's old black sock, and one bright yellow sock adorned with little flying snitches.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, sir, is calling for Dobby?" squeaked the elf.

Bending down a bit, Dumbledore said, "Yes, Dobby. I believe we all would like an explanation as to how Harry's uncle became covered in our meal?"

Dobby looked around the room at the people gathered and Harry saw his eyes brighten and his ears perk up as he found Harry.

"Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby cheered, running up and attaching himself to Harry's legs.

Harry wasn't ready for the sudden attack and could barely follow the adoring elf's speech.

"Oh, Harry Potter, sir, Dobby is so glad you is here! I is hearing you was almost attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Is you okay? I saws that those bad Muggles was here too. I had to do somethings. That big one with the hairy upper lip was talking bad things about Mr. Harry Potter, sir."

Harry wrestled Dobby's arms from around his legs and knelt on the floor so he was eye level with Dobby. He saw the three professors watching him.

"Dobby, calm down. What did you do to Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked.

Dobby quickly responed, "I only is making the food land on top of him. I didn't want to hurt him, because the great Harry Potter is so kind and freed me and wouldn't want me to hurt anyone, even if they deserves it. Harry Potter sir doesn't even let Dobby punish himself when he does something wrong."

Harry looked up at his professors. He wasn't sure how to respond and was feeling a bit embarrassed by Dobby's excitement. Harry saw Dumbledore nod and Professor Snape looking bored. "Well, Dobby, I know you're just trying to help me, but next time, maybe you should come to me first."

"Harry Potter sir is mad at Dobby?" Dobby asked, tears welling up in his eyes.

"No, Dobby," Harry responded swiftly to stop the onslaught of tears. "I'm honored that you would want to help me, but you don't have to worry about me. You could have gotten in trouble because of me."

"Harry Potter is honored of Dobby?" the elf asked in awe.

"Yes, Dobby, Harry, I mean, I am," Harry replied, somehow beginning to adapt to the elf's way of speaking. He heard Professor Snape snort at his mistake and looked up to see the other two professors smiling at him.

"Thank you, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby promises to tell Harry Potter when Dobby is going to help."

"I'm glad," said Harry tiredly. The elf's high enthusiasm was really tiring after a while.

Professor Dumbledore stepped in, "Dobby, I believe you were only trying to help Harry, so there won't be any punishment."

Sobering, Dobby bowed and replied, "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, sir, you is a great Headmaster."

"Thank you, Dobby," Dumbledore said, smiling. "You may return to the kitchens now."

With one last goodbye to Harry, Dobby disappeared with a crack.

"Well, what an eventful start to the afternoon!" Dumbledore stated happily. "Let's eat!"

-333-

Harry kept quiet during lunch, avoiding the three professors and savoring both the food and the image of his uncle covered in food. After eating, he retreated back to the dormitory to look up a few spells before meeting Snape for his defense lessons. Harry opened his trunk, pulled out his book, _Practical Defensive Magic and its Use Against the Dark Arts_. Out of habit, Harry reached for his wand on his bedside table.

"Where..." Harry muttered as he looked on the table and around the floor. "No!" Harry breathed and dropped the book on the floor as he realized that George was the one to pack his trunk. Harry didn't tell him about his hiding place under the floorboards.

Harry flung open his trunk and began tossing out books and clothing in a panic to find his wand, cloak, and picture album. Harry's heart was pounding as he emptied the trunk of nearly all its contents.

"It's not here," he exclaimed, as he reached his arm in and began feeling along the edges of the trunk. Suddenly, his fingertips grazed a familiar piece of material.

Harry sighed and sat back on his heels. He rested his forehead on his arm, took a deep breath, and pulled out his invisibility cloak. Inside of the folded garment were his wand and his album, both of which fell to the floor with a loud _thud_. Harry quickly grabbed his wand and smiled as warmth spread upwards from his fingertips.

"Thanks, George," Harry whispered, as he set the wand on his nightstand and surveyed the mess he made. Clothes, books, and papers were spewed in every direction and the contents of a tipped bottle of ink slowly traveled across the floor. Harry cleaned up the split ink and began gathering his books first. As he stacked them neatly back into his trunk, a glittering object at the bottom of the container caught his eye.

Harry gasped and reached into the trunk with shaky hands. He picked up the object that he now recognized as a shard from the two-way mirror that Sirius gave him to communicate. Tears welled in Harry's eyes, but he quickly brushed them away.

Angered at himself, Harry moaned, "Stupid!" and dropped the piece of glass back into his trunk. With less care than before, Harry grabbed up his books and clothes and threw them into the trunk.

Harry couldn't stop thinking about Sirius. Sirius was the first person he thought about when he woke up and the last thought he had before falling asleep. He missed him terribly and blamed himself for Sirius's death, especially after the conversation with Dumbledore the day before.

'What am I gonna do now?' Harry thought to himself. He needed Sirius now more than ever, especially with the prophecy and horcruxes. Harry knew that Sirius would know what to do and Harry wished more than anything that he could have his godfather back to talk to.

-333-

By the time three o'clock came, Harry was fuming. He was angry at Sirius for leaving him, angry at Voldemort for ruining his life, and angry at himself for going to the Department of Mysteries. Harry banged on the door to the Defense classroom and opened it after hearing a silky, "Enter," from the Potions Master.

As Harry slammed the door closed, Snape sneered, "My, my, someone has a temper today. You _will_ control yourself in my presence, Potter."

Harry looked up and glared at Snape, but did take a few deep breaths and did as he was asked.

"Potter, I hear that your best subject is Defense. Considering your performance in Potions, I fear that stories of your competence have been greatly exaggerated," Snape remarked, twirling his wand in his pale hands.

Harry couldn't help but reply, "I could say the same about you, sir."

Snape's arched his eyebrows and his hands suddenly stilled.

"Is that so, Mr. Potter?" Snape retorted. "I was planning on having you make a list of all the defense spells you already know, but I have a better idea."

Harry's previous anger quickly angered as he caught sight of an excited gleam in Snape's eye.

Snape continued, "I think I can judge your abilities just as easily with a little competition."

Harry swallowed, "A competition?"

"Yes, Potter." Snape responded as he waved his wand and all of the desks were pushed up against the wall. With another wave of his wand, the floor under Harry's feet became softer.

Snape crossed his arms and began pacing. "Here's how it works. We'll have an informal duel. You are to defend yourself against my spells however you see fit. You are _not_ to initiate the use of any defensive spells, but will instead demonstrate how to perform a spell that I name."

Snape stopped pacing and glared at Harry. "Any questions?"

Harry didn't know what to think. It seemed that he'd be spending most of his time defending himself against Snape's curses. Worriedly, Harry blurted, "No Unforgivables, right?"

Snape sneered, "No Unforgivables, sir. Of course not Potter! Use what little brain you were given."

Snape pointed his wand at Harry, "Prepare yourself."

Harry squared his shoulders and drew his wand just as Snape said, "_Avis_."

'Birds?' Harry thought as he watched small blackbirds come out of Snape's wand.

The birds did nothing harmful at first, but Snape suddenly said, "_Oppugno_," causing the birds to begin to attack Harry.

He countered with a shouted, "_Serpentsortia_," and Harry watched as his conjured snake nipped at the birds, causing them to fly out of a cracked window.

Snape banished the snake and looked towards Harry. "Sponge-Knees curse," he told Harry.

"_Genu poriferans!_" Harry shouted, aiming for Snape's legs. To Harry's dismay, Snape silently blocked the curse in midair.

"I see you did learn something from the werewolf," Snape sneered. "Let's try something a bit more difficult."

The eager glint in Snape's eyes made Harry nervous. He readied himself against Snape's offensive curse.

"_Lasiorhinus!_" Snape bellowed.

Harry never heard of this spell before. The spell was coming at him too fast for him to dodge out of the way, so he did the only thing he could think of.

"_Protego!_" Harry countered.

Harry's eyes widened as the spell penetrated his block and struck him in the face.

"Umph!" Harry moaned as he was thrown backwards due to the force from Snape's spell.

Suddenly, he felt a weird scratching sensation in his nose. As Harry brought his hand to his face, he discovered the problem.

"Bloody hell," Harry cursed as he felt hairs growing out of his nose. His nose hairs had now reached past his lip and he was now finding it hard to breathe.

"_Finite_," Harry said, pointing his wand at his face.

Unfortunately, the hairs continued to grow and were curling to reach past his chin.

"A little help!" Harry said a bit worriedly to Snape, who was watching Harry with an amused look on his face.

With a flick of his wand, Snape ended the curse, causing the hairs to fall to the floor.

"What _was_ that?" Harry asked, standing up and rubbing his nose.

Snape replied, "It was a hairy nosed curse, _obviously_. And watch your language. I may not be able to take points, but I'm sure I could come up with an appropriate punishment."

"Yes, _sir_," Harry replied. "Can you show me the incantation again, this time without aiming at me?"

-333-

For the next two hours, Harry battled Snape's spells. He was doing fairly well, as he didn't have any injuries except for a torn toenail. Snape decided to curse Harry with a toenail growing curse that apparently worked even when cast on an opponent wearing shoes. Harry was tired and was unable to block the last two curses, causing his hair to turn gray and sphagnum moss to grow out of his forearms.

"Stop," Snape said coolly.

Harry sighed and dropped to sit on the floor. He kicked off his shoe to examine his toe, ignoring his professor.

Snape repaired his robes, which had been damaged by a small fire when Harry mispronounced a spell designed to make one's clothing disappear. Harry was attempting to distract him, but couldn't form the words correctly while under Snape's Lip Locker curse.

Snape repaired a few pieces of broken furniture and turned to Harry to cancel the two charms on Harry's hair and arms.

"Thanks," Harry said absentmindedly as he replaced his shoe. He looked up at Snape who was watching him with an inscrutable expression and Snape nodded.

"You performed better than I expected," Snape told Harry. Before Harry could feel pleased with himself, he continued, "However, that isn't saying much. The Dark Lord won't be standing still waiting to be cursed. You even yelled your spells, Potter, giving me plenty of warning and time to defend myself. I can see that after five years you have yet to learn the art of subtlety."

Harry responded angrily, "Well, you're the one that came up with this _competition_. If you wanted me to attack a moving target, maybe you should have done more than just stood there, _Professor_!"

Snape scoffed, "Considering your aptitude in my class, I thought it best not to overtax your feeble mind."

Before Harry could respond, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Snape answered.

"Headmaster," Snape greeted as Dumbledore entered the room.

Dumbledore looked a bit worried, which Harry never saw as a good sign.

"Did something happen? Is it Voldemort?" Harry asked quickly.

"No, Harry," Dumbledore replied. "It isn't anything that serious, but we do have a problem."

Snape spoke up, "What kind of problem?"

Dumbledore said, "I need the both of you to aid in a search." Turning to Harry, Dumbledore continued, "I'm afraid your cousin Dudley is missing."

**A/N:** Please review, no matter how long or short your comment! Thanks to all my reviewers all those that added me to story alerts or favorites. You all motivate me to get the next chapter out faster! Special thanks to my brilliant beta, boushh!


	7. Muggle Hunting

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1_

"Missing? How can Dudley be missing?" Harry asked.

"Well," Dumbledore began. "Your aunt came to me in great distress, claiming young Mr. Dursley snuck out. Apparently, the Dursleys were arguing earlier about Dudley's desire to explore the castle. His parents believed he was in his room, but when he didn't come out for his afternoon tea, Petunia checked on him and he was gone."

"How can I help?" asked Harry.

"That's what I came here for," answered Dumbledore with a smile. "I already have Fred and George Weasley searching the castle, but I believe you have something in your possession that would be advantageous to the search."

Harry looked at the Headmaster questioningly for a moment then he remembered. 'The map! Of course,' Harry thought.

Harry smiled and was ready to confirm he had the map when he realized Snape was still in the room and listening intently.

Instead, Harry responded, "Of course, Headmaster. I just have to stop at Gryffindor Tower."

"Good, good!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "You and Professor Snape should find him in no time."

"Excuse me," Snape interrupted. "How did I get drafted to go Muggle hunting?"

Harry looked at Snape, surprised by his choice of words. He remembered that just a few years earlier, Dudley was the one doing the hunting. Harry spent his childhood on the lookout for his cousin, who was always eager to chase him through the neighborhood and leave him with bruises every time he was caught. Now, here he was, a teenage wizard with friends and people he could truly call 'family'. Instead of being the target of the hunt, Harry was needed to help Dudley.

Harry stopped dwelling on the past just as Dumbledore responded to Snape, "As a member of the Order, you possess the knowledge of how to communicate with me from a distance. If Mr. Potter finds his cousin, someone must be present who can alert me and Mssrs. Weasley."

Snape sighed, "Very well, Headmaster."

Snape turned and swept out of the door. "Come, Potter," he called.

As Harry followed him, he heard Snape mutter, "How hard can it be to find one mammoth sized Muggle?"

After a few minutes of silence, Harry remembered the map and remarked, "I need to stop at Gryffindor Tower first, sir."

Snape turned towards Harry and sneered, "Yes, Potter, I do believe you said that already. Although you may have an abnormally short attention span, the average wizard is fairly capable at retaining information."

Before he had a chance to spew his angry retort, the portrait of the Fat Lady came into view.

"Portable swamp," Harry said, storming into the common room and heading to his dormitory.

Harry threw open his trunk and once again began dumping its contents unceremoniously about the room in search of the map. He found the parchment in the middle of his trunk, between his copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander and a crumpled pair of underwear.

Harry opened the parchment and placed his wand against the paper as he said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Harry was glad the castle was nearly empty during the summer because it would be much easier to locate his cousin on the map. As he scanned it, Harry saw the twins were near the entrance to the kitchens.

'Good idea,' Harry thought, 'but I don't think Dudley knows where the kitchen is located.'

Suddenly, Harry noticed a peculiar flickering on the map. Looking down, he saw the malfunctioning label was the one identifying his own location. Instead of _Harry Potter_, Harry saw that his entire name kept flashing in and out of focus.

"What the…" Harry started to say, but his thoughts were interrupted as he spotted Dudley.

'I guess that's him,' Harry thought as he chuckled, reading the dot labeled _Unidentified Foreign Object_.

Apparently, the Marauder's Map was not capable of identifying muggles by name.

Harry put the map away and, still chuckling, said aloud, "I've just proven the existence of a UFO at Hogwarts!"

Harry returned to the common room and saw Professor Snape standing near the mantle, glaring at a group photo of all the Gryffindor house members that Colin Creevey had taken the year before.

Snape turned and spoke to Harry, "Well, now that you're done strutting about your dormitory, can we go find that pathetic Muggle?"

Harry, anxious to get away from Snape, ignored his taunting and exited, heading towards the Entrance Hall where he last saw Dudley on the map. He heard Snape's footfalls on the steps, confirming that the professor was following.

When Harry got to the base of the stairs, he saw Dudley. He was sitting with his back against the doors to the entrance of the Great Hall. He was sweaty and breathing heavily. A few twigs and dead leaves littered his hair and mud covered his new trainers. There were strings of cobwebs tangled around his legs and stuck to his red top. A small gash was on his face just above his left eyebrow.

"Dudley?" Harry called as he came closer. Dudley jumped at the sound of his name, but came out of his stupor when he saw Harry.

"Harry!" Dudley cried.

Harry had never heard any of the Dursleys call out for him in joy before. Shocking Harry even more, Dudley ran to his cousin and threw his arms around Harry.

Harry was mortified. He attempted to wrestle himself out of Dudley's firm grip and glared at Snape, who appeared thoroughly entertained.

During his struggle to remove Dudley, Harry watched as Snape pulled out his wand and, using a spell Harry did not know, conjured a quill and a piece of parchment. After writing a short message, he placed the parchment on the floor and pointed his wand at it. Wordlessly, the parchment folded into a paper airplane and took flight, stopping a few inches from Snape's hooked nose.

"Fred and George Weasley," Snape said to the parchment airplane as it flew up the stairs in search of its target. Harry was reminded of the interoffice messaging system he saw at the Ministry while being escorted by Mr. Weasley.

"What were you thinking?" Harry asked Dudley as he finally managed to separate himself from the muggle who had calmed significantly.

"I'm sorry!" Dudley cried. "I couldn't stay in those rooms any longer."

Any further explanation was cut off by Snape, who drawled, "Come. You two can continue this discussion in the Headmaster's office."

Focusing his glare on Dudley, Snape continued, "I'm sure the headmaster is most interested in why you left the rooms when you were expressly told _not to_."

Harry saw Dudley swallow and his cousin murmured, "Y-yes s-sir."

-333-

The walk to the headmaster's office was a silent one. "Peppermint Toads," Snape said to gain entrance to the office.

"Hello, Mr. Dursley," Dumbledore said as the unlikely trio entered his office. "Have a seat," he continued, gesturing to the three chairs in front of his desk that were upholstered in a combination of bright red, yellow, blue, and green fabric.

Dumbledore sighed and his knees crackled as he lowered himself into his chair. He put his elbows up on the desk and leaned his chin on his clasped hands, peering over his spectacles at a nervous looking Dudley.

Harry saw Dudley start as a house elf popped into existence with a tray of tea and sandwiches. Dumbledore took a cup of tea and slid the sandwich tray in front of Dudley, saying, "Help yourself, young man."

Dudley quickly grabbed two sandwiches while the Headmaster poured the tea. When everyone had a cup, Dumbledore turned back to Dudley.

"I am quite curious, Mr. Dursley, as to why you decided to leave your suite and how you managed to become so disheveled."

Harry watched Dudley swallow a large bolus of food before his cousin began to respond.

"Well, sir, it all started because I was angry at my parents. I don't have any of my video games or my computer. The only thing to do here is read!" Dudley exclaimed.

Snape snorted, but any derogatory remark Harry knew Snape was about to say was stalled as Dumbledore raised his hand.

Dudley continued, "It wasn't so bad when I could leave for meals, but after Dad got angry I couldn't even do that! When we got back to the rooms, my parents and I got into a row and I went to my room. When I came out later, my mum was reading one of those books about gardening and my dad was taking a nap. Since they weren't paying attention, I decided to sneak out."

Dudley stopped talking and looked up at Dumbledore. Harry saw fear in his cousin's eyes. Dudley continued, "I'm sorry for leaving, sir, but you don't know what it's like to be locked up in a place where there's nothing you can do."

Dudley's words reminded Harry of Sirius. 'That's exactly how Sirius felt,' Harry thought. He was then reminded of his own past.

Harry interrupted with bitterness in his voice, "I know how it feels. That's exactly how I felt growing up with you."

Everyone turned and stared at Harry. Dudley sat wide mouthed and responded, "I'm sorry, Harry. I never thought of it like that before."

Harry was suddenly aware that Snape was still in the room and was now looking at him strangely. 'Why do I keep forgetting when the git's in the room?' Harry thought.

Eager to change the subject, Harry turned to Dudley. "So what happened after you left?" he asked.

Dudley replied, "I was about to open the doors to the dining area when this g-ghost came out through the wood doors. He cackled and I screamed. He started talking and throwing things at me and I got so scared that I came to the bigger doors and ran out. I didn't know they'd lead outside, but I was afraid the ghost would try to kill me."

Dumbledore interrupted, "That sounds like the school poltergeist, Peeves. Although he can cause disturbances, I assure you he is quite harmless."

"Well, he didn't seem harmless at the time," Dudley replied. "Anyway, I kept running and stopped when I realized I was in a forest."

"You were in the Forbidden Forest?" Harry asked.

Dudley responded, "What? Is it forbidden because of those great big spiders?"

Stunned, Harry asked, "You met Aragog?"

Snape interrupted, "How do you know about Aragog, Potter?"

Harry ignored Snape's question and nodded for Dudley to continue.

"Well yeah, once I realized I was in some dark forest, I got worried and started shouting for help. I heard some rustling and I thought one of you had come for me. But then I saw those _eyes_," Dudley shuddered. "The spider grabbed me by the leg and dragged me deeper into the forest where there were even _more_ spiders. And then he started to _talk_. He said how he and his kids were all hungry. I offered to bring him some food if they let me go, but he said they were too hungry to wait and were going to eat _me_!" Dudley shrieked nervously.

Dumbledore peered calmly at Dudley, "I assure you, Mr. Dursley, that acromantulas cannot enter the castle. You are safe here."

"I know," Dudley replied. "That man horse thing called Fire ends told me so."

"You saw Firenze too?" Harry asked, shocked even more by Dudley's encounters.

"Well, yeah," Dudley responded. "He's the one that saved me from the spiders. He shot arrows at them and told them that they'd get in trouble if they harmed me."

Dudley took a deep breath and continued, "So, once the spiders agreed to leave, Firenze untied me and walked back to the castle. That's when you found me, Harry."

"Well, that is quite a story, Mr. Dursley," Dumbledore replied. "Are you in need of medical attention?"

"No, except for this cut," Dudley responded, pointing to his forehead.

"Do you mind if I heal it, Dudley?" Dumbledore asked. "I promise it won't hurt."

Shockingly, Dudley consented. 'Dumbledore must have spelled him so he'd agree,' Harry thought. He then watched as Dudley squeezed his eyes shut and Dumbledore silently healed the scratch. Dumbledore also removed the dirt and cobwebs from Dudley's arms and legs and applied a cleaning spell.

"Is it over yet?" Dudley asked with a quivering voice, his eyes still firmly shut.

"Yes, Dudley," Dumbledore replied kindly. "You may open your eyes now."

As Dudley opened his eyes, Harry watched as his cousin looked stunned by his clean appearance.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle, "See that, Dud? And you don't even have a tail!"

Dudley jumped up from his chair and grasped his bottom, feeling for an invisible tail. Snape rolled his eyes and Dumbledore shook his head, peering at Harry with a small smile and sparkling eyes.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and Dudley sat back down. "Well, Dudley, now that you are all taken care of, I must implore you not to leave your suite without informing one of us." Dudley looked saddened, but Dumbledore continued, "I will, however, speak to your parents about allowing you to eat in the Great Hall."

Dudley smiled, "Thanks, sir!"

"You are welcome, Mr. Dursley," said Dumbledore. He turned to the other wizards in the room. "Harry, you are free to go. Severus, if you would accompany me to bring Mr. Dursley back to his parents. I believe I may require your assistance.

"Goodbye, Professor," Harry said as he got up to leave.

Harry then turned to his cousin. "Dudley," Harry said, nodding once.

"Harry," said Dudley in response.

Harry knew he would never be friends with Dudley, but he thought they might learn to tolerate each other one day. He exited the office and returned to his dormitory.

"Portable swamp," Harry said to the Fat Lady.

"Back so soon?" asked the Fat Lady. "Well, your visitors will be happy to know you are back."

"Visitors?" Harry said aloud as he stepped through the portrait hole.

Harry withdrew his wand from his pocket and looked around the common room. Spotting no one, Harry headed up to his room. The door that he left open a little while ago was now closed and muted voices could be heard inside of the room. Holding the wand in his right hand at the ready, Harry used his left to open the door.

"Expell…" Harry shouted. The spell died on his tongue when he saw who his visitors were.

"Fred? George?" Harry asked. "Why didn't you warn me that you were in here? I was ready to attack you!"

"What fun would that be?" George asked with a chuckle.

"Whoa, Icke Harrikins! What's with the quick draw?" commented Fred.

"Yeah. Are you expecting someone to steal your pants?" George laughed.

"Oh, yes! I've touched Harry Potter's knickers! I can die a happy man!" Fred laughed.

Harry turned red from embarrassment, but laughed along with the twin's antics. He began to pick up his clothes that were scattered across the room as the twins danced around with a pair of his pants. He opened his trunk to dump in his clothes and spotted the Marauder's Map. Harry dropped the armful of wrinkled robes and opened up the parchment.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Harry said, his wand pointed at the map.

He searched the surface and found what he was looking for. His name was still flickering.

"Mischief managed," Harry said as he closed the map and tossed it back in his trunk.

Harry was too preoccupied with thinking about what the flickering meant that he failed to notice when the twins stopped dancing and began watching Harry. When he looked up, the twins were looking up at him strangely.

"What were you looking for on the map?" George asked.

"Nothing," Harry responded. Then he got an idea.

"Hey guys?" Harry asked. "What can you tell me about the map?"

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry to end it there, but the next chapter will be up much sooner than this one was! **Coming up:** Flashback to 1989 to find out how the twins discovered the password to the map.

Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed and all those that added this fic to story alerts, C2s, and favorites lists. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it! All comments and reviews are greatly appreciated :) Special thanks to my creative beta, boushh!


	8. Mischief Managed

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1._

**A/N:** Sorry this was later than I promised, but I thought everyone would prefer a version checked by a beta. Special thanks to my 2 fabulous betas, **boushh** and **xHarryIsMyHomeboyx**!

_

* * *

_

Previously:

"_Hey guys?" Harry asked. "What can you tell me about the map?"_

"What do you want to know?" Fred asked as he took a seat on the bed. George moved a shoe off of the bed and sat down next to Fred.

Harry took a seat on Ron's bed. "Everything."

"Well, you already know we stole the map from Filch," said George.

"Did we ever tell you how we found out it _was_ a map?" asked Fred.

"No," Harry answered.

Fred chuckled, "Well, let's start there."

-333-

**In the year 1989…**

"So, George, what do you suppose this is?" Fred asked, holding up the old piece of parchment they nicked from Filch's office a few hours earlier.

"Well," answered George. "Since it was in a cabinet marked _Confiscated and Dangerous_, it must be something useful. Open it up."

Fred cleared a space on his bed. George joined him and the boys closed the curtains. Fred carefully unfolded the parchment and laid it flat.

"Now what?" George asked as he cautiously poked the paper with his wand.

"Look!" Fred whispered excitedly as he pointed to the parchment where George's wand had touched it.

A splotch of black ink was visible, but slowly began to fade.

"Do it again," Fred said, as George stroked the tip of his wand across the parchment.

A trail of ink embedded in the parchment followed George's wand. As the boys watched, the ink swirled, spread out, and dissolved into words, spelling, _'Who's there?'_

"Whoa!" responded Fred and George, who stared at the parchment with wide eyes.

Looking questioningly at George, Fred decided to respond aloud.

"I'm Fred Weasley and this is my brother, George."

To their surprise, the parchment responded, _'Hello, Mssrs. Weasley. We are the Marauders: Mssrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Where did you find us?'_

Fred and George looked at each other, silently debating if they should mention that they stole the paper. Eventually, they agreed to be truthful.

"We nicked the parchment from Filch's office," George replied.

'_Who's Filch?'_ the Marauders asked.

"The caretaker," Fred responded.

"More like prison warden," added George.

'_Well, it sounds as if you could use our help. Answer some simple questions correctly and our secret will be yours,'_ stated the Marauders.

Fred and George looked at each other.

"What do we do now? Dad always told us never to trust something when you can't see where it keeps its brain," Fred asked.

"We'll just have to be careful. We can stop any time," said George.

"You're right. It's worth a try," agreed Fred.

"Okay. What's the first riddle?" George asked.

The twins watched eagerly as their first challenge appeared.

'_From the Fat Lady four floors down lies a statue in the middle. Tell us what you see one of and your answer will lead to the next riddle._'

"Quick, Fred, write that down," George said to his twin.

Fred reached over to his nightstand and grabbed a spare bit of parchment and a quill.

"Got it," he said once he copied down the message.

"Four floors down from the Fat Lady," George thought aloud as he folded the parchment back up and hid it in his trunk.

"The third floor corridor!" Fred exclaimed excitedly.

"Let's go!" George said eagerly.

The boys raced down the dormitory stairs and tried to conceal their excitement as they crossed the common room, which was crowded after dinner. A few moving staircases later, they reached the third floor.

"Now what?" Fred said as they stepped off the staircase and peered down the corridor.

Nearest the stairs was the entrance to the Charms classroom. Further down the same wall was a gallery of suits of armor that stood shoulder to shoulder. Directly across from the armor was the trophy room, which contained crystal display cases full of shiny, polished school awards and medals. Past the suits of armor were two large wooden doors sealed closed with heavy chains and at least three locks of various sizes. At the far end of the hallway, the doors to the hospital wing could be seen as well as the staircase that led to the Entrance Hall.

"Well," replied George, looking at the riddle. "It says here the statue's somewhere in the middle."

The twins quickly made their way to the middle of the hallway, hoping to find the statue and uncover the answer to the riddle before they were late to supper and someone noticed their absence.

"Over there!" Fred exclaimed excitedly as he spotted a statue in an alcove almost exactly midway between the stairs to the Entrance Hall and the way to the Gryffindor Tower.

Fred and George carefully examined the statue.

"Grunhilda of Gorsemoor. 1556-1639. Developed a cure for Dragon Pox," George read from the placard as Fred circled the statue.

"Wow, she must have had Dragon Pox at least three times to get a face like that!" said Fred.

George looked up from the plaque and joined Fred to stare at her visage.

"We have to find something she has one of," said George.

Suddenly, a very excited Fred shouted, "Her eye! She only has one eye!"

"That's it! Come on. Let's get back before curfew."

-333-

The twins were able to get back to the Marauder's parchment when Lee decided to leave them and take a shower. Once again, they climbed onto Fred's bed and closed the curtains. Like the first time, George touched his wand to the parchment.

'_Have you solved your first riddle?'_ the Marauders asked.

Smiling, George replied, "We think so. The statue of Grunhilda of Gorsemoor has one _eye_."

Fred and George waited anxiously as ink spiraled on the page and formed the words, '_Good job.'_

A very large letter _**I**_ appeared at the top of the parchment.

The Marauders continued, _'You have found the first word needed to discover the hidden treasures of this parchment.'_

"That wasn't too hard," Fred commented.

"Yeah, let's keep answering clues," responded George.

They watched as the map began to reveal something new. '_Now get ready to solve this next riddle. Find the area where Moaning Myrtle resides and search for the next word that's written where one could hide.' _

"Moaning Myrtle?" Fred asked. "Do you know who she is?"

"No, not a clue," replied George.

"Maybe we can ask Charlie," supplied Fred.

"I've got a better idea," said George. "Let's go find Percy."

The twins put away the parchment and went into the common room. As expected, they found Percy in a corner with his nose in a book. Even though he was only a third year, he was surrounded by stacks of books.

Percy was so involved in his studies that he failed to notice George and Fred's entrance. George gestured to Fred and the two sat in worn red armchairs about a foot from Percy.

"Hey, Fred, you won't believe what I heard from two sixth years," George said in a slightly elevated tone of voice. He watched Percy and noticed that he was now aware of the presence of the twins and was listening to their conversation.

George knew that Percy was a stickler for rules. If there was anything he hated more, it was people that did not go along with the status quo. Percy was also eager to 'inform' superiors of the bad behavior of his fellow schoolmates, making George's plan perfect.

"No, I didn't, George," Fred replied, now catching on to George's strategy.

"Well, I heard that they were meeting where Moaning Myrtle resides after curfew," George said, struggling not to laugh.

"Wow," Fred responded. "That's a really good idea. They'll never get caught there. After tonight, I'm sure tons more students will be going there after curfew."

"Definitely," sighed George. "It's something to remember when we get older and have girlfriends."

"Too right, George," Fred replied, now releasing a bit of his laughter. George laughed as well and both boys glanced at Percy.

Percy had stopped writing and the twins could tell that he was distracted. They watched as Percy scanned the common room until he caught sight of Verity Vance, one of the Gryffindor prefects. As Percy walked towards her, Fred and George got up and moved to an area where they could hear the conversation.

"Verity?" Percy asked as he approached the girl, who was sitting near the fire and studying with a fellow classmate.

"Yes, Percy? Is there something I can help you with?" Verity asked, as she and the girl she was studying with turned towards him.

"Yes," Percy said, clearing his throat. "I overheard that some students were planning to sneak out after curfew and go to the second floor girls' bathroom. I thought that a prefect should know."

"Ok, thanks for telling me," Verity responded.

As Percy walked back to his table, Fred and George watched as Verity whispered to her friend and both girls started laughing before returning to their studies.

Fred motioned to George and they both went back up to the dormitory.

"That was brilliant!" Fred said. "Now all we have to do is go to the second floor girls' bathroom and search it."

"I know!" George replied.

"Tomorrow after Charms. I've still got homework from Snape to finish," responded Fred.

-333-

The next day, the boys found it hard to pay attention in Charms. They were the first ones out the door when the class ended and raced to the second floor bathroom.

"Yuck," said George, as he entered the restroom and stepped into a puddle. "Now I know why we didn't know about Myrtle. No one would voluntarily enter this place, especially a girl."

Fred entered and the bathroom door closed. Suddenly, the ghost of a young girl with oval glasses appeared from the drain of a rusted sink.

"What are _you_ _two_ doing here! This is the girls' room. No boys _allowed_!" Myrtle shrieked.

Myrtle floated closer to Fred and George, who were stunned silent by the strange apparition.

"I know why you're here! You heard stories of _moaning _Myrtle and thought it would be fun to make fun of me, just like Olive Hornby!" Myrtle whined.

Trying to quell the spirit, Fred started to say, "No, Myrtle! We're here to spend some time with you!"

George chimed in, "Yeah, Myrtle! We're lonely too and thought you'd like some company."

"Really?" asked Myrtle, sarcastically. Sniffling, she continued, "You boys are all alike! Mocking me and lying to me!"

Myrtle began weeping and fled through a toilet drain, water from the bowl spilling over the sides and splashing onto the floor.

Fred sighed, "Whew, I thought it was only the water on the floor keeping people out. Now I know the real reason."

George chuckled, "Moaning Myrtle sure lives up to her name!"

The twins set their bags in a sink, the only place not soaked in toilet water. Fred walked to the far end of the room and opened the door to the nearest stall.

"The Marauders said that the answer was written in a place where you could hide. I'll look down here and you look over there, okay?" Fred asked George.

George nodded and the two boys began scouring the stall walls.

Several minutes later, George found himself examining his second stall. As he entered and closed the door, he spotted a small inscription near the top hinge.

"Hey, Fred, I found something!" George said excitedly. He stood on his toes to be able to read the writing.

"False alarm," George said dejectedly. "It says SS loves LE. I don't think that's the answer the Marauders were looking for."

Both boys continued the search. After what seemed like an hour of crawling on damp tile, peering under toilet lids and looking behind toilet tanks, Fred believed he found the answer.

"I've got it!" Fred shouted excitedly as he wiped his wet hands on his robes. "George, come here!"

The writing was cramped, but identical to one of the four different handwritings they saw on the parchment.

"There," Fred said as he pointed to an area of the wall almost hidden behind the toilet tank.

"Finally!" George exclaimed, anxious to get out of the musty old bathroom.

The twins took off their wet robes, shoved them into their bags, and left the bathroom. They kept their expressions as calm as possible so as to not arouse suspicion and headed back to their dormitory, where they deposited their bags and pulled open the parchment.

'_Have you found the answer to the latest riddle?' _the Marauders asked.

"Yes. The answer is _solemnly_." Fred stated.

Slowly, the words on the map reformed. The top of the parchment now read, _**I solemnly**_.

'_Congratulations!' _the Marauders proclaimed. _'Here is riddle number three:_ _The next word rhymes with what you tickle, if you want pudding or a pickle.'_

Fred copied down the riddle as George folded the parchment and put it away.

"Ok, where would you go if you wanted food?" Fred asked.

"Well, there's the Great Hall, but you don't have to tickle anything to get food. It just appears from the kitchens," replied George.

"The kitchens. That's it!" remarked Fred. "We have to find the entrance to the kitchens."

"That's easy. We just need to find a house elf," George responded.

"How are we gonna do that?" asked Fred. "We've been here a few months already and I still haven't seen one!"

-333-

Four days later, as the clock struck midnight, Fred and George were heading to the common room to enact their plan. Each carried down several days' worth of dirty socks and pants. When they entered the common room, each twin began tossing their laundry behind pillows, under armchairs, and on the mantle.

"There," said George, tossing his last sock on the floor in front of him. "I think we've successfully created a house elf's dream."

"Now we wait," replied Fred, as he and George settled in on the sofa.

Three hours later, the twins were almost asleep. They had managed to stay awake without a problem for the first hour, talking and theorizing about what secrets the parchment would reveal. After that, their conversation was interrupted by yawns and tired pauses. The common room fell silent and George's head lolled onto his chest as Fred stared unblinkingly at the floor.

Fred and George were jolted out of their stupor as a muffled _pop_ rang in the air. Standing before them was a young, nervous looking house elf.

"We did it!" Fred exclaimed to George.

They both turned back to the elf, which had started to twist its ears, muttering, "No, they've seen Walby! Wizards sees Walby!

Fred and George bent down on their knees.

"No, elf…um, Walby! Stop hurting yourself!" Fred commanded the little elf.

"Yeah," agreed George. "You're a very good house elf!"

Walby stopped twisting his ears and looked up at the twins with tears in his brown eyes. "Walby is a good elf?" he asked.

"Yes, Walby," said Fred, glad the elf was calming down.

Walby was a very small elf. Although Fred and George had only seen a house elf close up a few times, they knew that he was young. Walby had pale, pink skin and fine golden hair neatly adorning the top of his head. He had a round nose that resembled a grape and stood as tall as George's knee.

Suddenly, Walby began talking. "Walby's mum said that Walby could help by cleaning the Griffie door common room. This is Walby's first time out all alone."

"Wow, Walby. That's great," replied Fred hesitantly. He didn't want to upset the elf any further.

"Yes, so you boys go sits and let Walby do his work," the little elf commanded in a squeaky voice.

Walby fluttered around the room, snapping his fingers, removing the twins' dirty laundry.

When nearly all of the socks and pants were gone, George decided to try to extract the kitchen's location from the elf.

"So, Walby. You said that this is your first time out alone. Where do you normally work?" George asked in the calmest possible voice.

"Walby is working in the kitchens, sir," the little elf responded, pausing to bow at George as he continued to scurry around the room. "Walby is helping with breakfast and likes to clean up, too."

"Cool," replied Fred. "I've never been to the kitchens. What is it like?"

Walby got very excited, happy to tell the twins about his favorite place. "The kitchens is the bestest place to work!" he shrieked. "Always work to do and Walby has already made friends."

"I wish I could see the kitchens sometime," responded George.

"Yeah," echoed Fred. "Where do we go if we wanted to visit the kitchens?"

Walby answered, "Us elves have special magics that lets us go there easy. But wizards, they is having to go down some stairs to the right of the main stairs in the In Trance Hall. Then they has to find the painting with the bowl of fruit and tickle the pear."

George, trying not to sound too excited and frighten the elf, simply said, "Oh, that's good to know."

Fred couldn't contain his smile as he responded, "Yeah, useful information. Well, Walby, we'll let you get back to work. Good night."

Walby paused in his cleaning, bowing to the twins and answering, "Good night, look alike wizards."

Fred and George hurried up the dormitory stairs. They carefully entered their room so as to not wake their dorm mates, took out the parchment, and opened it on George's bed. Once it was spread out and the curtains on the bed were closed, Fred lit his wand.

"So what rhymes with pear?" asked Fred.

"Lair, bear, swear, tear," George responded.

"Well, it has to be something that fits with _I solemnly,_" reminded Fred.

"Ok, I solemnly lair, bear, swear...That's it! Swear!" George exclaimed.

Now that they had the answer, George touched his wand to the parchment.

'_Have you solved the latest riddle?' _the Marauders asked.

"Yes, swear," responded George.

The twins watched as the ink spread and the top of the parchment read _**I solemnly swear**_.

'_Congratulations, Mssrs. Weasley. Here is your next riddle: When fighting a dragon you will find, attacking it here will give you piece of mind,' _the Marauder's wrote.

George copied down the riddle as Fred put the parchment away.

"Sounds like a question for Charlie," said George.

"Yeah, let's ask him tomorrow. Err, I mean, later today," Fred responded as he glanced at his watch. "Goodnight," Fred whispered as he extinguished the light from his wand and went to his own bed.

-333-

Luckily, the twins had decided to stay up late Friday night and were able to sleep until nearly noon. When they entered the Great Hall for lunch, they spotted Charlie sitting near the end of the Gryffindor table. He was talking animatedly with other Quidditch team members. The twins came over and sat down to Charlie's left.

"Hey, big brother," George said to Charlie, reaching across his plate to grab some pumpkin juice. "How's Quidditch these days?"

After a heated discussion about Gryffindor's plans to defeat Slytherin to win the Quidditch cup, Fred decided to ask Charlie about dragons.

"What's the best place to attack a dragon so that you subdue it?" asked Fred.

Curious, Charlie looked at his mischievous younger brothers. "Why do you want to know?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, Snape had us make a potion using dragon scales last week," Fred lied.

"And we were wondering how someone would be able to attack a dragon without damaging its hide so that they could collect the scales," George finished.

Charlie chuckled, "I doubt that's why you want to know, but I'll tell you anyway. Just don't let Mum know I had anything to do with it. Sometimes they wait until the dragon dies of natural causes, but if fresh scales are required, all you have to do is hit it with a Conjunctivitis Curse in the eye. That will disorient them enough for another wizard to scrape off some scales without injuring the dragon."

"Cool," said George.

"Yeah, good to know if I ever get cornered by a Chinese Fireball," commented Fred.

Charlie laughed, "Yup. I've got practice now, but I'll see you both later."

The twins left the Great Hall shortly after Charlie. They returned to their dormitory and had the parchment out again.

'_Have you solved the riddle?' _the Marauders asked.

"Yes, eye," answered George.

The twins waited, holding their breath as the words swirled on the page. The top of the parchment read, _**I solemnly swear I**_.

"All right!" Fred shrieked.

'_Congratulations. Here is your next riddle: In McGonagall it's first and in Dumbledore third, and without it you couldn't form every word!' _the Marauders wrote.

"What? Any ideas?" asked Fred as he copied down the riddle.

"Not a clue," George replied as he moved to sit next to Fred and stared at the clue again.

"When has Dumbledore been third to anyone? And what's this about forming words?" George muttered.

"Hold on. Maybe it's not talking about them specifically, but about the names themselves," Fred pondered.

"Yeah! Let's see. The first letter in McGonagall…and the third letter in Dumbledore is _M_! That's it! Fred, you're a genius!" George replied excitedly.

"Oh, stop! All this praise is going to my head!" Fred remarked in mock seriousness.

The twins laughed and returned their attention to the parchment. George took out his wand and touched the tip to it, causing the ink to reappear.

'_Have you solved the latest riddle?' _the Marauders asked.

"Yes, _M_," replied Fred.

The ink spiraled on the page to read at the top, _**I solemnly swear I am**_.

As the twins celebrated their victory with high-fives, the Marauders revealed their next riddle.

'_A wandless way to spot a wizard from squib, is to say this over a broom 'cause there's no way to fib!'_

"Surely it's not that easy!" George said to Fred with a smile.

"You know the answer already?" Fred asked.

"Yes, and you should too. First of all, you've been flying for years. Secondly, we were laughing about this during flying lessons, remember? When Lee's broom didn't move we told him he was a squib and his Hogwarts letter arrived accidentally," George responded.

"Oh yeah! He actually believed us until he got it on his fourth try!" Fred laughed.

George ran his wand over the parchment.

'_What is your answer, Mssrs. Weasley?' _the Marauders asked.

"This riddle was easy. Up," answered George.

The twins watched as the parchment read, _**I solemnly swear I am up**_.

'_Here is your next riddle. When making Polyjuice Potion, add this many leeches or you'll have just a lotion.'_

"Ugh, a potions question," Fred remarked as George copied down the riddle.

"At least we know it's probably two or four. The words _to _and _for _are the only ones that would make sense. Is Polyjuice Potion listed in our text?" George asked.

Fred scrambled for his copy of the book _Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_. He turned to the index and scanned the entries. "Here it is. Polyjuice Potion, page 182."

Fred then turned to the section on Polyjuice Potion and began to read. "Polyjuice Potion is one such potion that requires the addition of a human ingredient. The potion allows the subject to physically transform and bear the likeness of the person from which the ingredient was obtained. This potion is not one to use injudiciously, for severe complications can arise if brewed incorrectly. While copies of the brewing instructions circulate in unsavory circles, those wishing for authentic instructions should consult _Moste Potente Potions_. Twenty copies of the potions compendium are in existence today, with three copies housed securely in the Restricted Section of the library at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland."

"Well, I guess we'll be gracing the library with our illustrious presence," George remarked.

"Looks like it. But we need to wait until tonight. If we don't go down to the Great Hall for dinner, Lee will start to wonder what we've been up to," Fred reminded George as he put away the potions text.

"We've really been neglecting Lee this week, haven't we? I hope he's managed to survive without us," George chuckled.

George tossed on a robe and fixed his hair so he'd look presentable in the Great Hall. Fred followed suit and both boys headed off to eat and spend some time with their friends.

-333-

"All clear," whispered George as he poked his head out of the entrance to the Gryffindor common room and peered down the hallway.

Fred soon appeared and the two boys scurried past portraits of sleeping men, women, and children, illuminated only by dim torches on the wall. After several more glances around corners, the twins managed to make it to the entrance to the library unseen. The large oak door creaked loudly as Fred tugged it open.

"Hurry!" George whispered as he heard the sound of footsteps drawing nearer.

Just as George was sure they were about to be caught, Fred gave the door one last yank and both boys rushed inside.

"Whew, that was close," breathed George.

"I know. Come on. Let's get out of here before Snape or our best mate, Filch, show up," said Fred.

They easily found the Restricted Section and hurried to the Potion books, where they began scanning the titles.

"Ugh, _Potions with a Friend_. Something tells me this isn't what the brewer's friend had in mind," Fred said disgustedly as he showed George the cover depicting a bound man being levitated into a boiling cauldron.

After passing books with titles like _An Untraceable Death_ and _Potions for the Unpopular_, they finally found _Moste Potente Potions_. Fred and George each grabbed a copy and began searching for Polyjuice Potion.

"Here it is!" exclaimed George.

"So, how many leeches?" asked Fred.

"It says, _after stirring 17 times counterclockwise, add two leeches and let simmer_," George read.

"Brilliant! Let's put these back and get out of here," Fred responded.

George pushed open the library door. Fred grabbed it when he exited and closed it carefully. He nearly bumped into George, who was standing still and gazing dejectedly at a black clad Professor Snape.

"Well, well, well. Fred and George Weasley. What library research was so urgent that you had to wait until after curfew to begin your education?" Snape drawled.

George decided to answer honestly and said calmly, "We were working on Potions, Professor."

"Is that so?" Snape remarked.

Fred knew from Snape's tone of voice that he didn't believe them, but said nothing.

"Since you both are so interested in the study of Potions, I will be meticulous in grading your next assignment as I'm sure your extra _research_ will be advantageous. Now I suggest you return to your dormitory," Snape sneered.

"Yes, sir," both boys intoned as they turned and walked away.

"Oh, and Mssrs. Weasley?" Snape called to the twins.

"Yes, Professor?" Fred asked.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor and three detentions for being out after curfew. I better not catch either of you out again or the punishment will be much more severe," Snape jeered.

"Yes, sir," the twins responded, giving Snape a mock bow and salute before continuing to Gryffindor Tower.

Once they entered the common room, Fred remarked, "At least it wasn't Filch."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that, but I agree," George responded.

"Let's deal with the parchment tomorrow. With our luck tonight, someone in the dorm will wake up and see it," Fred stated with a yawn.

"Okay. Night," George said.

"Night, George.

-333-

As soon as the twins woke up and their dorm mates left, Fred and George took out the parchment.

'_What is the answer to the latest riddle?' _the Marauders asked.

"Two," George responded, eager to move on to the next riddle.

After giving the answer, the parchment read, _**I solemnly swear I am up to**_ at the top. Below that, their next riddle formed.

'_Instead of pronouncing the letter G, when saying gnome you get this without me.' _

"That sounds like another word one. Any ideas, oh genius brother?" George said jokingly to Fred.

"Well, my slightly dim, but handsome brother, I do believe I have an idea," answered Fred.

Grabbing a bit of parchment, Fred wrote down the word _gnome._

"Look here, George. If I cross out the letter _g_, then remove the _me _at the end, this is what you are left with," Fred remarked as he passed over the paper.

"Brilliant," said George as he touched his wand to the Marauder's parchment.

"Oh, stop!" shrieked Fred giddily as he swatted George on the arm.

'_Do you have the answer?' _asked the Marauders.

"Yes. The answer is no," responded Fred.

They waited for another word to appear at the top of the parchment. Instead, all of the ink dissolved.

"Oh, no! We were wrong! A week's worth of work for nothing!" said George worriedly.

As they watched, large text began to appear.

'_The Marauders have proven your worthiness as best as we could, just remember to say "__**I solemnly swear I am up to no good**__." And don't forget, hide the secrets from others with a simple __**Mischief Managed**_.'

The words quickly disappeared and the twins smiled, excited at the prospect of finally knowing the secrets that the map held.

Although aware that it might be dangerous, the twins' curiosity got the best of them and together they uttered the words, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

As lines crisscrossed and writing formed on the page, the twins discovered the Marauders' secret.

"Merlin!" muttered Fred.

"It's a map of Hogwarts…and everyone in it!" George exclaimed excitedly.

-333-

**In the year 1996…**

"…And that's how we figured out that it was a map," concluded Fred.

"Wow, the Marauders were a clever lot," Harry said in awe.

"Yup," replied Fred.

"And we were proud to follow in their footsteps," continued George.

"Is that all you know about the map?" Harry asked.

"Yes, indeed, ickle Harrykins," Fred joked.

Harry was thrilled to learn more about the map, even if it didn't give him the answers he was looking for. He gained a whole new appreciation for the ingenious nature of his father and his friends.

'They really were brilliant,' Harry mused as he thought about Sirius and his father.

As the twins continued to laugh and joke with one another, the mystery behind his flickering name continued to pester Harry. He knew that he had only one other option to get the answers that he desired. He had to talk to Remus Lupin.

**A/N:** Yes, I know there were a lot of riddles. I hope it wasn't too repetitive! I figured that if the Marauders could create a map of Hogwarts, they would think of something a bit challenging to enable others to use it. Thank you everyone that has reviewed and put this fic on their alerts or favorites lists! Please review and let me know what you think so far! :)

Coming up next: More Harry and Snape, plus a visit from Remus!


	9. Reunions and Mourning

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1_

* * *

Harry suddenly found himself surrounded by green flames. He could hear the voices of others calling his name. One in particular sounded familiar.

"Sirius?" Harry asked as he looked for a way to escape the fire.

When the people spoke again, Harry was sure one of them was his godfather. The flames were rising and getting closer.

"Sirius! Help me!" Harry shouted, but the voices began to sound further away.

Reaching into his pocket for his wand, Harry instead found the Marauder's Map. Despite not having a wand, the map was already activated. As he scanned the surface, all of the names on the parchment flashed in and out of focus.

"Help me!" Harry shouted again in panic. The voices calling his name slowly faded away, with Sirius's voice the last to leave. Once the voices vanished, Harry started to feel the flames burning his arms as they licked his skin.

"No!" Harry shrieked and awoke, sweat soaked and panting. It took a few seconds, but as his disorientation faded, Harry sighed. He ran his hands over his arms, which were tingling and itching slightly. As he rubbed his arms, Harry thought about what his odd dream meant.

'The past few days must be getting to my head,' Harry thought.

After regaining his breath and waiting for his arms to feel normal again, Harry put on his glasses and headed for the shower.

Once clean and dressed, Harry headed down to the Great Hall. Despite the unsettling dream, Harry realized he was starving. As he caught a whiff of the house elves' cooking, his stomach growled.

Entering the Great Hall, Harry saw that all of the remaining Professors were already assembled and seated at the Head Table, which was smaller and looked strikingly similar to the dining table at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Professors McGonagall and Snape were seated next to each other, directly across from Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid.

"Harry!" Hagrid shouted happily as he jumped up from the table, spilling his tea and nearly upsetting Professor Dumbledore's in the process. Professor McGonagall shook her head and vanished the mess.

"How 're ye?" Hagrid asked as he gave Harry a hug, lifting him off of his feet and squeezing so hard that Harry could barely breathe.

"I'm good, Hagrid! I've missed you!" Harry squeaked.

Hagrid put Harry down and added, "I've been worried 'bout ye, Harry. When I heard what them Death Eaters did, I was afraid I'd lost ye."

Hagrid began to sniffle, making Harry uncomfortable.

"I'm alright, Hagrid. Just a little hungry," Harry remarked with a smile, hoping to cheer up his friend.

"Ye should be after two weeks with them lousy muggles," responded Hagrid as they both turned back to the table where a space for Harry was waiting between Dumbledore and Hagrid.

"Hello, Headmaster, Professors," Harry greeted as he took his seat.

When he looked up, his green eyes met the piercing dark eyes of the Potions professor. Harry turned his head to avoid Snape's glare and focused the rest of his attention on Hagrid's stories. Throughout the meal, he did his best to avoid glancing at Snape. It was bad enough that he had to endure Occlumency and dueling lessons with him later that day.

Just as everyone was finishing, the doors to the Great Hall creaked open.

"Remus!" Harry shouted excitedly as Remus Lupin entered the room along with a purple haired Nymphadora Tonks.

"Hi, Tonks!" Harry added, noticing that she and Remus were holding hands.

Tonks smiled at Harry and winked at him. Remus looked like his normal self, albeit a little tired.

"Harry," Remus smiled as he approached the table.

Tonks let go of his hand and Remus stepped up to the now standing Harry. Putting his hands on Harry's shoulders, Remus looked Harry in the eye and asked, "How are you doing?"

Not wanting to discuss anything in front of the others, Harry replied rapidly, "I'm okay, Remus. How are you? Are you injured? When I saw you at Privet Drive--"

Remus chuckled and interrupted, "I'm fine, Harry. St. Mungo's patched me up as good as new. The biting boils managed to gnaw off a couple of my toes; otherwise I would have been back sooner."

Suddenly, Professor Snape's deep voice echoed in the room, "A reunion. How touching."

Snape stood. "It's about time you showed up, Lupin. I'm not about to conduct Potter's dueling lesson today by myself. You may be preoccupied by _romance_," Snape sneered, glancing at Tonks, "but some of us have more pressing matters to attend to."

Turning to Harry, Snape remarked, "One hour, Potter. Don't be late," and left the Hall.

Remus chuckled, grabbing and squeezing Tonks' hand, whose hair was now a fire red and standing on end. As her hair color turned purple again, Remus released her hand and commented, "Severus always knows how to give a person a warm welcome."

Dumbledore stood and grasped Remus's hand, "I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Remus. We have much to discuss."

Remus then turned back to Harry, "I must talk with the Professors for a bit. I'll see you in the Defense classroom in an hour. We can talk after our lessons."

"Okay. I'm glad you're back," Harry added softly.

"Me too," Remus responded, patting Harry on the arm. "Go on, now," he smiled.

Harry said goodbye to the Professors and Tonks gave him a quick hug and ruffled his hair as he headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

-333-

An hour later, Harry entered the Defense classroom with the map in his pocket. He had checked it again after lunch and his name was still flickering.

"On time for once, Potter," Snape sneered as he entered the classroom a minute later along with Remus.

Snape stalked past Harry and began levitating the desks against the wall, stacking them to clear a generous space in the center of the room. Remus and Harry moved to the center of the room and Remus began explaining what would happen during the lesson.

"In real life, proper dueling etiquette does not apply. You'll have to protect yourself from enemies that fight dirty and you often have to deal with more than one opponent at a time," Remus told Harry in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

Remus cleared his throat and continued, this time in an upbeat manner, "That's where I come in! I know you and Professor Snape already had a dueling lesson. Those will continue, providing you with spells to add to your arsenal. These sessions will give you a chance to practice in a simulated combat situation. Professor Snape and I will act as your opponents. Your goal is to successfully disarm both of us as quickly as possible."

Harry was stunned. "I have to duel _both_ of you? At the same time?"

Remus chuckled and Snape, who had finished stacking furniture and was now transfiguring chairs into trees, glared at Harry.

"What did you expect, Potter? It's about time you realized there are people that know more than you," Snape replied.

Remus, who must have sensed Harry's unease and the rising the tension in the room, interrupted, "Yes, Harry. I find the best way to learn is to practice in a controlled setting. There will be no dark curses, of course."

Not wanting to seem intimidated, Harry glared back at Snape for a few seconds before shifting his eyes to prevent an unwanted mental invasion.

Looking around the room, Harry was surprised by the changes Snape made. The center of the room where Harry stood continued to look like the defense classroom. The perimeter of the room looked like a strange forest. Large oak trees grew through the stone floor and large stones were scattered about. One corner of the classroom was shrouded in darkness and a fine mist floated in the air near the opposite wall.

"Ready, Potter?" Snape asked in a neutral tone.

"Yes, sir," Harry responded, gripping his wand tighter.

Snape pointed his wand at a timer hovering above the classroom door, "You have thirty seconds to find suitable cover. When the timer releases red sparks, the mock battle will commence."

"Good luck, Harry," Remus added as Snape activated the timer with a flick of his wrist.

Harry turned and surveyed the room. He thought about hiding in the darkened corner, but rejected that idea quickly because the darkness would make finding his enemies difficult. Instead, Harry chose the region covered in mist and fog. He hid behind a tree trunk and when he turned to face the center of the room, Snape and Remus were gone.

The timer released a jet of brilliant red sparks, signaling the start of the battle. Harry remained quiet, choosing to keep his location hidden and instead let one of the others make the first move.

Harry didn't hear the incantation, but watched as what looked to be a Stunner sped towards him. Harry dodged the red spell, only to see a shimmering jet of purple fly in his direction.

"_Protego!_" Harry shouted, causing the purple light to rebound off of his shield.

Unfortunately, by casting the shield Harry gave away his location. He quickly ran out of the mist, narrowly avoiding a blasting curse that blew a hole in the tree he was hiding behind. Pieces of bark flew violently in all directions, one of which hit Harry in the face, cutting his cheek.

As Harry wiped the blood off of his face with his sleeve, he ducked and threw himself behind a boulder to avoid a yellow jet of light that he guessed was a curse that caused a person to feel as though they were being stabbed by an imaginary dagger. The curse was not dark, but Harry knew that Snape had cast that spell.

Panting, Harry yelled, "_Expelliarmus,_" aiming in Snape's direction.

To the left, a blue stream of light sped towards Harry. He tried to move out of its path, hiding behind a nearly oak, but the beam made a sharp turn and continued towards him.

"_Protego Horribilis!_" Harry shouted, thinking that a spell that followed the target might penetrate the standard Shield Charm.

The blue jet hit the shield with a resounding boom, causing Harry to lose his balance and hit his elbow hard on the stone floor.

Grasping his wand arm in pain, Harry scurried back behind a tree and yelled, "_Ateles blanos!_"

Harry heard a groan and a thud, proof that the spell to make his opponent a blind, ineffective fighter hit its target. Harry stepped out from behind the tree, eager to cast the Disarming Spell on his fallen opponent.

"Ugh," Harry groaned as an orange jet of light hit his right thigh.

Harry ducked behind another tree and watched as his thigh got smaller and smaller until his right leg was a bit shorter than his left. He cursed under his breath as a muttered _Finite Incantatem_ failed to restore his leg to its original length. Harry was still able to stand, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to move as quickly as he normally would.

As he peered around the tree trunk, Harry saw Snape move behind a nearby tree.

"_Furnunculus!_" Harry shouted, but Snape easily dodged the spell.

Snape sent another spell that Harry didn't know towards him. Instead of producing another shield charm, Harry saw that the area of darkness was to his left. Hobbling on his uneven legs, Harry entered the darkness, bending low to shield himself from Snape behind a fallen branch.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Harry yelled.

He hoped that his change in location would enable the spell to strike Snape. Harry was growing tired, sweat sliding down his face to mingle with the blood from the cut on his cheek. His elbow was sore and standing on his disproportionate legs was starting to become painful.

Suddenly, Harry heard the sound of footsteps clattering on the stone floor. He spun around, but in the total blackness, he couldn't see anything.

Harry took a deep breath, ready to shout the Disarming Spell, when his wand was wrenched from his grip.

"Time!" Remus shouted from in front of Harry.

The darkness lifted and with a sharp _pop_ the trees and boulders disappeared and the classroom was restored to its normal appearance.

"Good job, Harry!" Remus exclaimed as he gave Harry his wand back.

Remus quickly restored his thigh to normal size and cast a healing charm on the cut to his cheek.

"Thanks," Harry said with a tired smile.

"I wouldn't advise handing out praise after today's performance," Snape remarked as he joined Harry and Remus.

"What a surprise," Harry mumbled.

With a sharp glare at Harry, Snape continued angrily, "Potter, your spell connected with Lupin, but you failed to disarm him! Would you congratulate someone who attempted to cast a Patronus and only produced mist?"

"I would in a classroom!" Harry retorted.

"This isn't about classwork, Potter! This is about saving lives!" responded Snape fiercely.

"I know that," Harry muttered, his anger suddenly extinguished by Snape's comment.

Calmly, Remus turned to Harry and stated, "You did do very well today, Harry, despite Professor Snape's grievances. You did fail to disarm me, which I presume after today you will not forget."

"Yes, sir," Harry responded, answering Remus's rhetorical question.

Remus turned to Snape and added, "That is, after all, what these _lessons_ are all about."

Snape glared back at Remus but did not respond.

Snape turned and headed to the door. Standing in the doorway, he turned back and sneered, "My office immediately after supper, Potter. Do _not_ be late," before sweeping out of the room.

Harry began to feel anxious about the evening's Occlumency lesson and it must have shown on his face because Remus moved in front of Harry and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You did do very well today, Harry. Severus knows it as well, but would never admit it," Remus added.

"Thanks, Remus. I knew a lot of the spells that you and Snape used, but can you show me the ones I didn't know? Harry asked.

"_Professor_ Snape will be going over those spells during your next dueling lesson. The spells the two of us use in these mock battles are carefully chosen before each session so that you can see them in practice before your dueling lessons," Remus answered.

"That's a good idea," responded Harry.

"Yes, I thought so too when Severus told me that was his plan."

Considering Snape's horrible Potions lessons, Harry was shocked that the dour man came up with a decent teaching plan.

Remus chuckled, "I don't know about you, but I think I've talked enough about Professor Snape for one day. How about we go for a walk?"

"Can I get my Firebolt first? McGonagall gave it back at the end of the year, but I haven't taken it out since Umbridge banned me from playing," Harry responded eagerly.

"Sure. Meet me in the Entrance Hall in five minutes," said Remus.

-333-

Just as it looked like Harry was going to slam into the ground, he pulled his broom up and landed smoothly on the grass. Harry was out of breath but smiling brightly as he walked over to Remus, who was sitting in a conjured lawn chair.

"That was amazing! I didn't realize how much I missed flying," Harry said excitedly as he sat down in another chair and grabbed a glass of pumpkin juice off of the small table between him and Remus.

Remus smiled, "James and Sirius were the same way. Soon after the O.W.L exams, they were banned from flying until the end of the year. All they could talk about was Quidditch until they got their brooms back from Professor McGonagall just as everyone was boarding the thestral carriages. Sirius and James were so excited that they left their bags and flew to Hogsmeade Station."

Harry smiled and Remus started to laugh, "Professor McGonagall gave up chasing them at the school gates. If it wasn't for me, they would have spent the summer starkers. I wound up having to lug three trunks to the station."

Harry enjoyed the story, but couldn't stop thinking about all he had missed out on.

"I miss him, Remus," Harry confided quietly.

"So do I," Remus said sadly.

"I'm sorry," Harry said hesitantly, staring at his hands.

"What for?" Remus asked as he turned to face Harry.

"It was my fault," Harry muttered.

"What was your fault?" Remus asked confusedly.

Harry stood up and began pacing anxiously.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Remus! If it wasn't for me, Sirius never would've left Grimmauld Place and he'd still be alive! It's all my fault--" Harry answered dejectedly and turned away from Remus.

"Harry, _no_!" Remus said strongly.

Remus grabbed Harry's shoulder and spun him around. Harry was determined not to look Remus in the eyes.

"Listen to me, Harry," Remus responded, grasping Harry's shoulders tightly. "It was _not _your fault! You didn't know Voldemort sent you a false vision. It was not your fault."

"Yes, it was!" Harry responded angrily. He pulled away from Remus's grasp and turned around, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

Harry turned back around and countered, his voice raising, "I didn't even try! I was getting visions for _months_, Remus! I should've tried harder at Occlumency and I shouldn't have let Snape end the lessons!"

Harry paused, breathing heavily, and said despondently, "I never even opened it."

"Oh, Harry," Remus responded sympathetically. "Look at me," Remus said as he stepped closer to Harry.

"It's not your fault. Dumbledore and the rest of the Order thought it would be best to tell you as little as possible due to Voldemort's ability to penetrate your mind. We should have known that you wouldn't fully appreciate the need to learn Occlumency. You weren't given a clear explanation as to why it was so important, so it is understandable that you might not work as hard," Remus explained.

"But I didn't have to go running to the Ministry. Everything would have been fine if I just used the mirror," Harry responded, upset with himself.

"You don't know that, Harry. I tried to spend as much time with Sirius as possible, but he wasn't handling staying at Headquarters very well. I had to physically stop him from leaving and joining in Order missions several times. It's likely that had you told Sirius about your vision that he would have gone to the Department of Mysteries anyway to ensure that the prophecy was protected," Remus countered forcefully.

"But I never even opened it!" Harry shouted.

"Voldemort and the Death Eaters are to blame, not you!" Remus said just as loudly and put his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"It's not your fault," Remus said firmly.

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head. "It is," he whispered.

"It's not your fault. Say it," Remus commanded.

"I can't," Harry choked.

"Yes you can. It's not your fault," Remus repeated.

"It's not my fault," Harry whispered, a tear streaking down his cheek.

"It isn't your fault, Harry. I don't think so and neither would Sirius," Remus said with conviction.

"It's not my fault," Harry said strongly, his eyes watering.

"That's right," Remus said gently as he pulled Harry closer and wrapped his arms around him.

Harry was momentarily started by the contact, but quickly wrapped his arms around his friend.

"Thanks, Remus," Harry whispered in Remus's ear as he clung to his robe.

Remus tightened his arms around Harry as the two mourned the loss of their friend.

-333-

"Next time, contact me sooner when something's bothering you, okay?" Remus said about an hour later as he finished regaling Harry with more stories of Sirius's Hogwarts days.

"Okay," Harry responded, sipping his pumpkin juice.

"After all, what are friends for?" Remus asked with a smile.

"Speaking of friends, you and Tonks looked especially _friendly_ earlier," Harry commented with a mischievous grin.

Remus blushed, "She was asking me to go out after every Order meeting and I always declined, making up all kinds of excuses. I liked her, but I didn't think I'd be good for her. After Sirius died, my rationale for not pursuing anything didn't seem too important anymore."

Harry smiled, "I'm glad you're happy."

"I am," Remus smiled shyly.

"How about you? What have you been up to since being back at Hogwarts?" Remus asked.

"Well, after Dobby covered Uncle Vernon in soup, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon decided that they were too normal to associate with wizards, so they've been holed up in their rooms ever since," Harry said mirthfully.

Remus chuckled, "I sorry I missed that. How about your cousin?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yesterday, Dudley, in his brilliance, decided that he'd sneak out and roam the castle. How someone that large can get lost is beyond me, but the Headmaster made me and Snape search for him. Thankfully I had the map, so it didn't take too long."

"That map was definitely one of the better ideas that we came up with at school," Remus noted.

Harry pulled the map out of his pocket and commented, "There was something weird on it, though."

Remus looked concerned and leaned closer. "You didn't see anyone strange on the map, did you?" he asked.

"No, nothing like that," Harry assured Remus, who appeared to relax.

Harry activated the map. "What's weird is that my name flickers. Did you ever see that happen before?" Harry asked.

"Are you sure it wasn't just the light?" Remus asked interestedly.

"Yes, I'm sure. I've checked it a bunch of times and it still does the same thing. See?" Harry pointed to his name on the map.

"Hmm, I don't recall seeing something like this before. It's strange that it's only your name," Remus muttered as he scanned the parchment.

"I know. That's why I thought I'd ask you," Harry commented.

"Do you mind if I keep the map for a little while? I'll be here in the castle for a bit so I'll have the time to look into it," Remus asked as he studied the parchment.

"Yeah, you can have it for a while. I need it back before classes start, though," Harry said with a playful grin.

Remus laughed, "You'll have it back before the students return. I wouldn't deprive you of it for that long."

"Thanks," Harry remarked with a smile.

Remus folded the map and stuck it in his robe, pulling out his pocket watch.

"It's almost time for dinner. Why don't we go inside? You should change," Remus said as he looked at Harry's old robe, tattered and dirty from dueling and flying.

"Okay," Harry returned as they both got up and headed back to the castle.

-333-

Harry ate his food incredibly slow, hoping to delay the inevitable. When Dumbledore got up to leave, Harry knew that he couldn't claim he was still eating and headed down to Snape's office for his Occlumency lessons.

As Harry reached up to knock on the door, it flew open. Harry jumped and cautiously entered.

Snape was sitting behind his desk with his wand next to him. He clasped his hands and gestured for Harry to take a seat in one of the utilitarian chairs in front of his desk.

"Before we begin, there are some rules that I must address," Snape intoned.

Harry daringly interrupted, "Sir, before you start, there's something I wanted to say. I'm sorry I looked in your Pensieve. I swear I never told anyone about what I saw. I did ask Remus and Sirius about it, but that was only because I was appalled my father would do something like that. I really am sorry I invaded your privacy."

"Are you done?" Snape sneered at Harry.

When Harry nodded, Snape continued, "_Don't_ mention that incident to me ever again, do I make myself _clear_?"

"Yes sir," Harry responded cautiously.

"As I was saying, there are some guidelines you must follow. First, I expect you to be punctual. If you are even one minute late, there will be consequences. Second, as I will also be attempting to teach you Legilimency, any of my memories that you _stumble_ across during these lessons will not leave this room," Snape stated firmly.

"Yes, sir. But you can't tell anyone about what you see either or use it against me in class," Harry countered.

"Potter, this is not a negotiation," Snape snarled, clasping his hands and leaning towards Harry.

"I never said it was. I just think that if I keep your memories private, then it's only fair that you do the same for me," Harry added in rebuttal.

"You are a student, Potter. Democracy and fairness are unimportant," Snape began.

"But—," Harry interrupted.

Snape raised his hand for silence and continued, "However, I will endeavor to extend the same consideration to you."

"Thank you, sir," Harry managed to reply, despite being stunned that Snape had agreed to his demands.

"Now," Snape began in his professorial tone, "The key to Occlumency is clearing one's mind. Since you obviously failed to grasp this simple concept, allow me to explain it in a different manner. What do you think about in the few minutes before you fall asleep?"

"What do my sleeping habits have to do with Occlumency?" Harry asked.

"Potter, will you just answer the question?" Snape asked exasperatedly.

Harry thought for a second. "Um, I'm not really sure. I can't remember thinking about anything," Harry responded, wondering where Snape was headed with this line of questioning.

"Exactly," Snape replied. "In those few minutes before you lose consciousness, you have no thoughts on your mind. At this time, you have _cleared your mind_. That state of emptiness, or peace as some say, is what you must achieve when someone is attempting to penetrate your mind."

"Why didn't you say that before? How was I supposed to know what 'clear your mind' meant if you didn't explain it to me?" Harry asked, finally understanding what he had to do.

"I assumed that would be obvious, Potter. Now stand so we can begin," Snape sneered as he grabbed his wand and got to his feet.

Harry waited for Snape's attack to begin immediately, but was surprised when Snape simply stood and stared at him for about a minute. Harry used the time to try and clear his mind.

"Ready?" Snape asked silkily.

Harry nodded.

"_Legilimens!_" Snape uttered.

Harry tried to keep his mind empty, but his memories prickled at the surface and began to appear.

_Harry was standing in front of the Mirror of Erised, nose pressed to the glass and calling out for his parents._

_Aunt Marge was insulting his parents and slowly began to inflate._

_Uncle Vernon threw a much younger Harry in his cupboard for doing accidental magic at school._

_Sirius was asking a joyful Harry to come live with him._

'No!' Harry thought, fighting against Snape's attack. A vague memory of Sirius drifted past his consciousness as Harry gave one final _push_ and ejected Snape from his mind.

Harry looked up to see Snape looking surprised before the man's face returned to its regular scowl.

"Much better, Potter," Snape uttered.

Harry felt his mouth open in shock, stunned to hear a word of praise directed towards him coming out of Snape's mouth.

As Harry was about to thank him, Snape continued, "It's about time you grasped the concept, but your barriers are still far too weak to pierce. The Dark Lord will not give you time to prepare."

Harry glared at Snape, ready to refute his comments, but Snape had gestured for him to get ready for another attack.

"_Legilimens!_" Snape snarled.

This time, Harry was only able to hold Snape back for a few seconds before he was assaulted with memories.

_Harry was four and was crying for his Mummy and Daddy as he awoke from a nightmare of green light._

_Wormtail was sobbing over his amputated hand while Voldemort was rising out of a cauldron._

_Sirius was fighting Bellatrix in the Department of Mysteries. A jet of light struck Sirius, who looked stunned as he began to fall into the veil…_

"NO!" Harry shouted aloud.

Suddenly, the memories stopped and Harry was kneeling on the ground, panting. Not wanting to look weak in front of Snape, Harry got up and tried to calm his rapid breathing. He was exhausted and felt as though he just ran several miles. Harry looked towards Snape and saw scattered beads of perspiration across his forehead.

Harry must have looked tired, because Snape remarked, "Get used to it, Potter. The force I used was a fraction of what the Dark Lord will employ in his attempts. Furthermore--"

Snape stopped speaking at the sound of someone knocking at the office door. "Enter!" Snape snarled.

"Remus!" Harry exclaimed in surprise. His surprise faded to fear when he caught the expression on his friend's face.

"What's wrong?," Harry asked.

"Both of you need to come up to the Headmaster's office," Remus stated calmly.

Harry watched as Snape tensed, looking questioningly at Remus. Remus shook his head and Snape appeared to calm before he turned, grabbed some Floo powder off of the mantle, and disappeared towards the Headmaster's office in a mass of green flames.

Remus went over to the mantle and gestured for Harry to grab some powder as well. Before they both prepared to leave Snape's office, Remus looked Harry in the eyes.

"I figured out why the map was flickering," Remus commented just before he disappeared.

Harry was confused by Remus's solemn tone and tossed a mound of Floo powder into the flames, hoping that the Headmaster's office held the answers he was looking for.

* * *

**A/N:** What did everyone think of the mock battle and Occlumency scenes? Let me know what you think. I appreciate the feedback! If you have added this fic to your alerts, favorites, or taken the time to review, thank you so much! Special thanks xHarryIsMyHomeboyx's help with this chapter!

The next chapter should be up sooner; real life delayed this one a bit. I started my second year of medical school in the beginning of August and I've been focused on the 4 exams I've had in just one month's time. Don't worry, it will be completed! Check out my profile page for updates on the progress of upcoming chapters.

_In the next chapter:_ Remus reveals some important information about Harry's past.


	10. Potions and Consequences

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1_

Harry entered the Headmaster's office to see Snape and Remus talking in low tones. As Harry brushed the soot off of his clothes, Dumbledore entered the room and the two men fell silent.

"Gentlemen," Dumbledore greeted with a nod of his head. He took a seat behind his desk and jotted down a note with a red feathered quill before glancing back up at Remus.

"Well, I was quite concerned when you requested my presence tonight. As much as I enjoy your company, I assume this was not a social call," Dumbledore commented.

"Unfortunately, yes. I've come across some information that you should be aware of," Remus responded.

"Please, have a seat," Dumbledore gestured and waved his hand, conjuring up three chintz armchairs.

Harry was surprised to see that even Snape sat. He was expecting the Potions Master to hover in the corner and think up caustic remarks.

Remus began, "While at Hogwarts, James, Sirius, Peter, and I created a map of Hogwarts. The map shows everyone in the castle and lists their true identity, even if the subject has magically disguised his or her appearance."

"Yes," Dumbledore interrupted, "Barty Crouch informed me of this map's unique characteristics before he was kissed by the Dementors."

Harry shivered, remembering the incident quite clearly. He was torn from his thoughts as he heard Snape's voice beside him.

"As interesting as this little history lesson is, I do have more important tasks to deal with. Is there any particular reason why I need to be here?"

"Yes, Severus," Remus responded, "Your potions expertise is needed. Give me a moment to explain, will you?"

Without waiting for Snape's response, Remus continued, "Well then, as you know, Harry is in possession of this map. He informed me of a peculiarity he saw on the map while looking for his cousin."

Remus stood and reached into his robe pocket, pulling out the map. He had it already activated and unfolded it on the Headmaster's desk.

Harry watched worriedly as Snape leaned close, his eyes quickly scanning the parchment. Harry's fears were realized as Snape suddenly voiced his opinion.

"As a student, Potter should not be in possession of this object. Since he is already prone to breaking the rules, he shouldn't have an object that allows him and his little miscreant accomplices free reign over the school!"

Harry's temper rose and he glared at Snape, shouting, "My friends aren't miscreants!"

Professor Dumbledore interrupted, "Severus, we can discuss this later. Right now, I believe that we may have a more serious matter at hand."

Snape quieted and Harry relaxed back into his seat. Snape glared at Harry but did not continue his argument.

"Here's where the problem is," Remus announced, pointing to Harry's name on the map.

"It's shifting in and out of focus," Dumbledore muttered as Snape moved closer to get a better look.

"Yes," Remus replied. "The map has never done that before, targeting one name. There was a period of time when we were making it that all the names flashed different colors, but no individual name was ever singled out. I didn't have an explanation for Harry until I thought of his birthday."

He paused, fishing for something in his pockets. Pulling out a glass bottle with a silvery substance floating inside, Remus asked, "May I use your Pensieve, Albus?"

'Pensieve?' Harry thought worriedly. From all of his past experiences, he believed that nothing good ever came from using the device.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore summoned the Pensieve from his black cabinet and set it on the middle of his desk. "Be my guest," Professor Dumbledore replied.

Remus added the memories to the rune covered basin and continued, "I believe it's important for all of you to see this memory. I think that seeing this is the only way to confirm my suspicions."

Harry watched Snape narrow his eyes at Remus, but the glare was short lived as all four wizards leaned over the Pensieve and touched a finger to the shimmering surface.

When Harry entered the memory, he saw Remus holding an infant version of himself in a warm, inviting home, sun streaming through the windows. As he looked around, Harry spotted wizard pictures above the mantle. He saw a large photo of himself and his parents and stepped closer.

As he and the others were examining their new surroundings, Remus turned to Harry, "I had just remembered that your birthday is coming up in a few weeks when I thought back to your first birthday. Lily was so excited…"

He was interrupted as a female voice echoed through the house.

"_James! Get the cake out of the oven in a few minutes while I get Harry dressed!" Lily shouted as she dashed into the living room, darting around a playpen and snatching a smiling Harry from Remus's arms._

"Mum." Harry whispered. He heard someone gasp at her sudden appearance, but was unable to tear his eyes off of her. He watched as she lovingly held his younger self and his heart ached.

"_Remus! Good to see you!" Lily greeted as she kissed her friend on the cheek. "When did you get here?"_

"_Padfoot and I arrived a few minutes ago. He and James are out back tinkering with Sirius's motorbike. You do know that the cake will burn if you leave it up to him to get it out, right?" Remus asked with a chuckle._

"_Those two! You'd think they were both sixteen again trying to modify their brooms," Lily sighed and shook her head._

_She hitched Harry on her hip as he began to squirm. "Could you get the cake out in a few minutes and drag the boys away from their toy?" she asked. "The others should be arriving soon."_

"_No problem," Remus responded with a smile as he watched Lily carry Harry up the stairs, her red hair glistening as the sun hit it. Before she disappeared from view, she kissed the giggling boy on the nose._

Harry spared a glance at the others. Remus was smiling sadly and the Headmaster's face appeared somber. It was Snape's attitude, however, that shocked Harry the most. Snape was paler than usual and his hands were clenched tightly into the fabric of his robes. His gaze was still on the stairs where Lily had disappeared.

As Harry stared at Snape, the scene changed and Remus was sitting at the table talking with Sirius and James.

Snape's demeanor instantly changed and Harry watched as his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. He didn't really care what Snape was thinking as his breath caught in this throat for the second time and his gaze landed on his dad and Sirius.

_Lily walked back in with Harry, who squealed and squirmed in her arms, shouting, "Dada!"_

_Lily laughed and passed him over to James. _

"_There's my big boy!" James said excitedly has he ruffled Harry's hair and kissed him on the forehead._

_Sirius got up from the table and hugged Lily._

"_Hello, Lily. You look beautiful as always," Sirius smiled, grabbing and kissing the back of her hand._

_Lily slapped Sirius's hand away. "Don't try to charm me, Sirius Black! I know you brought that bike over here."_

"_Don't be mad, Lily. How else were Remus and I supposed to get here before everyone else and bring all of Harry's gifts?" He said innocently._

_Lily smiled, "You do realize that you're spoiling him rotten?"_

"_That's what godfathers are for, isn't it?" Sirius smiled mischievously._

Harry was amazed by how young Sirius looked. He was handsome, well groomed, and impeccably dressed in rich burgundy robes. He watched as Sirius turned his attention to baby Harry.

"Aww, Harry, no greeting for Uncle Padfoot?" Sirius asked with an exaggerated pout. He got up from his chair and turned into a large dog.

_Padfoot walked up to James and Harry, who was giggling at the sudden appearance of the dog.__He lifted his nose __and sniffed Harry's bare feet. Harry laughed and playfully swatted the dog on the nose. Padfoot sneezed on his feet, causing the boy to kick his feet. _

"_Padfoot!" James chuckled, shaking his head. "Harry doesn't want your snot between his toes."_

_At this remark, Padfoot reached over and licked the soles of Harry's feet. _

"_Paddy!" Harry laughed as James set him on the floor. Harry grabbed at Padfoot's fur and the two played while Lily joined Remus and James at the table._

"_When does the Floo connection activate?" Remus asked. _

"_In a few minutes. Most of the Order's coming and Alice and Frank are bringing Neville for Harry to play with," Lily answered._

_Sirius resumed his human form and sat down at the table with Harry on his lap. Harry stood up on his legs and pulled himself up on the table, crawling across it to reach Lily. _

"_How's my baby?" Lily asked as she clutched Harry to her chest. Harry wiggled into a comfortable position and muttered, "Mama," as he grabbed onto her violet robes._

_Several minutes of quiet conversation later, Harry was asleep in his mother's arms. _

"_I'll put Harry down in the playpen in the living room. He shouldn't sleep much longer because he already had a nap after lunch," Lily commented to the others. _

_As she stood, James got up and pulled her chair back, kissing her and Harry before they both left the room. _

Once again, the scene changed and Harry found himself back in the living room. He noticed that his younger self was now awake and playing with a stuffed dragon. The fireplace was now lit and the four adults stood around it, wands at the ready.

_The flames sparkled green and little Harry giggled. A dark haired woman stepped out clutching a package in her hands. Behind her, another man stepped out of the fire and stood at her side._

"_State your name and password," Sirius commanded, his wand drawn._

"_Benjy Fenwick. Wigtown Wanderers," the man stated._

"_Dorcas Meadowes. Tutshill Tornados," she replied seriously. With a smile, she added, "What's with the Quidditch passwords, anyway? You both are almost as bad as Dumbledore and his sweets!"_

_James dropped his wand and responded, "What can I say? Great minds think alike." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek as he took the package from her arms and shook hands with Benjy._

Harry looked to his right as he heard Dumbledore chuckle. Snape was glaring at the Headmaster, but the Potions Master quickly turned his attention back to Lily as she began to speak.

_Lily laughed, "Dorcas! I'm so glad you could make it!" and embraced the other woman_.

After greetings were exchanged, Harry watched as the two visitors fawned over his younger self.

_When he started to fuss, Lily took him from Dorcas's arms and put him back in the playpen. James stepped over to the fireplace and put the screen back in place._

"_When are the others arriving?" Benjy asked. _

"_We've spaced arrivals every fifteen minutes that way we know to expect no more than two wizards at a time. Albus thought it would be best for security," James answered._

"_You have to see the cake!" Lily exclaimed. "I used the recipe you gave me and it came out perfectly."_

_Following her lead, James turned to Benjy. "Benjy, you have to see Sirius's bike! It works perfectly."_

_Lily turned to James and shook her head at his attempt to playfully mock her. "Come on, let's leave the boys to their toys," Lily commented as the women headed to the kitchen. The men followed and exited the kitchen door as Lily was levitating the cake to the table._

The scene changed once again, but the atmosphere was quite different.

_The men were all outside when the sound of Harry shrieking and crying filled the air. Remus and the others rushed back inside, hearing Lily scream as they dashed through the door._

"_Lily!" James shouted and raced past his friends. _

_The sight that met them in the living room was unexpected. The playpen was tipped on its side and Lily was kneeling on the floor in front of the fireplace with Dorcas standing behind her. Suddenly, James caught sight of his son._

"_Merlin, Harry!" James uttered, his voice breaking. _

_Harry's face and arms were covered in burns and blisters. His hands were red and tears streaked down his raw cheeks._

"_James, what do we do!" Lily cried, looking afraid to touch__ her son and cause him more pain._

_Remus stepped forward and placed a cushioning charm around Harry. He tossed a blanket into James's arms._

"_Here," James replied, wrapping a sobbing Harry in the blanket._

_He handed him over to a distraught Lily and pushed her towards the floo. Grabbing a handful of powder, James wrapped his arms around his family before shouting, "St. Mungo's!"_

Harry was stunned. He looked down at his arms, which didn't bear any trace of the expected burn scars. When he looked up, he, Remus, Snape, and Dumbledore were in St. Mungos.

_A healer was speaking with Remus, James, Lily, and Sirius. "Harry suffered second and third degree burns on his face and upper extremities. His pants were singed, but the rest of his body was unharmed. Unfortunately, some of the burns are too severe to treat with our standard healing potion_._ Since the fireplace in question is also used for Floo transportation, the mixture of magical and non-magical elements makes the burns resistant to simple magical and Muggle healing methods. However, this type of injury is not uncommon, especially in familiars and curious young children and a treatment has been developed._ _I will need a sample of blood, preferably from one of his parents, in order to give him the Exsarcio_ _potion," the healer explained._

_James replied, "Take the blood from me. I'm his father."_

"_Wait!," Lily spoke up. "I'm Harry's mother. I should be the donor."_

_James turned to Lily, looking confused and slightly hurt. "Lily, honey, let me take care of this. It was my fault the childproofing charms weren't reapplied. Let me do this."_

_Tears welled in Lily's eyes and James pulled her into an embrace. "It will be okay. I promise you," James whispered to Lily as he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head._

_He looked up at the healer, "I'll help Harry. Whatever you need, just tell me." _

"_Ok, sir. Let me explain what the potion does, since I will need your consent before administering it. The Exsarcio potion is quite complicated, but I'll give you the basic information. It heals the skin and subcutaneous tissues by molding your son's physical features with your own. This will cause him to look more like you than he would without the potion. Since he is young, this should not be a problem. However, the potion has a maximum duration of fifteen years. Therefore, as he approaches his sixteenth birthday, the potion will begin to wear off until he is left with the burn scars. At that time, the potion will need to be readministered to prevent painful withdrawal symptoms. It is important for you to know that the administration of the potion, if you consent, is not without risk. Side effects from the first dose, though rare, include anaphylaxis, coma, loss of magical ability, disfigurement, hair loss, constipation, and uncontrollable toenail growth. After treatment with the potion, your son can be discharged following one hour of observation for these adverse effects. Now, if I could have you sign this form," the witch explained, using her wand to levitate a piece of parchment and a quill in front of James._

"_Lily?" James asked as he pulled away from his wife. _

_Her eyes were red from crying, but her voice was strong when she spoke, "Sign it."_

_James grabbed the quill and signed the paper. As soon as he released the quill, the parchment rolled up and disappeared with a pop._

"_Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," replied the healer._

She reached over, extended James's arm, and waved her wand near his antecubital fossa. His skin appeared transparent as his blood vessels stood out prominently. The healer used her wand to make a small nick in a vessel and quickly placed a vial against his skin. Once filled, she sealed the vial and healed the cut on James's arm.

"_There is one other thing you should know. Harry's eyes were damaged by the fire, but we were able to treat most of the damage. Unfortunately, this potion is only effective on skin and subcutaneous tissue; therefore, his vision will be impaired for the rest of his life. He should be assisted by corrective lenses, which we can fit for him prior to his discharge. __Do you have any other questions before we administer the potion?" the healer asked._

"_Can we sit with him?" Lily spoke up. _

"_Yes, you and your husband can follow me," the healer responded kindly. _

_James wrapped an arm around Lily and the two left Sirius and Remus alone in the hall. _

The world spun for the final time and Harry and the others were deposited back in Dumbledore's office. Remus collected his memory from the basin and the Headmaster put the Pensieve away before taking his seat. The others sat opposite him and Remus turned to Harry.

"I'm sure this all comes as a shock to you, which is why I wanted to show you the memory instead of tell you about it. Do you have any questions?"

"Why did I get burned?" Harry asked immediately. "I mean, they had me in that big pen thing and even had a screen in front of the fireplace."

"You've heard of magic, have you not, Potter?" Snape sneered.

"Yes," Remus said loudly, preventing Harry from making a snide comment to Snape. "You had performed small feats of accidental magic before your first birthday, usually just summoning toys, so we all didn't expect that you were capable of what happened that day. From what we surmised, you managed to knock the playpen over and crawled over to the fireplace. When you were a baby, you would stare at the fire for hours. I think you were just interested in watching the flames and leaned into the protective screen to get a better look. When we got back to Godric's Hollow, we couldn't find the screen. You must have vanished it and fell into the fire when it disappeared."

"As fascinating as it is to hear about every detail of Potter's accidental magic, I would like to discuss this potion so I can get started on the boy's cure," Snape interjected.

If possible, Harry noticed that Snape looked more agitated than usual and his face was quite pale.

"From what I know, the potion is why Harry's name was flickering. I suspect that with the potion acting properly, the map saw him as it should have. When the potion started wearing off, it began to sense his magical signature, as well as that of his father, causing his name to flicker," Remus added.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Harry responded. "But what does all of this mean?" Harry asked worriedly. "That healer said something about withdrawal."

Turning to Snape he added, "And you said something about a cure."

Snape cleared his throat and began to lecture, "As the healer said, the Exsarcio potion only works for fifteen years. When the final month of activation approaches, the patient will begin to experience mild symptoms of withdrawal, including itching, tingling, and other abnormal skin sensations. The second stage is characterized by what is called worm skin. Patients describe the feeling of worms crawling under the skin. This is due to the rearrangement of tissues as the body attempts to regain its normal form. The itching and tingling sensations become more intense in this stage. The pain begins in the final stage, typically one day prior to the potion wearing off. Body tissues morph rapidly, causing ripping and tearing sensations over areas of scarring. For several days before and after the potion wears off, nightmares tend to be more common as the unconscious mind attempts to adjust to the body's physical changes."

At the mention of the painful symptoms, Harry turned to Dumbledore. The trademark twinkle in his eyes was replaced by a weary expression. As though he knew what Harry was thinking, the Headmaster asked, "Is there anything we can do to prevent the withdrawal symptoms?"

Snape relied simply, "I'm afraid not, sir."

"Have you felt any of these changes, Harry?" Remus asked with concern.

Harry thought back to his experiences in the last couple of days. "Well, my skin has been itching more than usual, especially my arms, but I just thought it might have been sunburn or something from the heat."

"If Harry takes this potion again soon, will it prevent any further symptoms?" Remus inquired.

Snape responded, "The Exsarcio potion is no longer in use today. While completing my Potions mastery, I focused on continuing Mistress Hesper Starkey's work. Mistress Starkey was particularly interested in improving healing potions using the lunar cycle."

"Is that why you know how to brew the Wolfsbane Potion?" Remus asked curiously.

"Yes," Snape responded, sounding a bit disgruntled at being interrupted. "She theorized that adjusting the brewing schedule in concordance with the full moon could improve its effectiveness."

"As I was saying," Snape drawled, "her theory on tissue regeneration based on Waffling's Postulates was brilliant. From her notes I was able to modify the initial procedure and to formulate several other rejuvenation draughts. The Ardor Curatio potion will be of particular benefit to Potter. It should restore his appearance permanently."

"You mean I'll look different?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Since the Exsarcio potion will wear off soon, your true appearance, scars included, will resurface. However, the scars can be permanently treated with administration of Ardor Curatio if taken on the full moon," Snape replied.

"What about this one?" Harry asked, pointing to the jagged curse scar on his forehead.

"I'm afraid no amount of magic will remove that scar," Dumbledore answered. Turning towards Snape, he asked, "Can you have the potion ready before the Exsarcio wears off?"

"Ardor Curatio takes a fortnight to brew and must be administered in a patient that is not under the influence of any other potions. The full moon is the evening of July 30th; therefore, the ideal time to administer the potion is the thirtieth or early on the thirty-first. As the Exsarcio potion should clear Potter's system on the thirty-first, the most effective time to administer it would be midnight July thirty-first," Snape responded.

"Thank you, Severus. I know we still have a few weeks, but I will have the house elves prepare the hospital wing for your use. Since Remus will be unavailable to assist you that evening, would you like me to owl Poppy and have her come back for a few days?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, Headmaster. I can handle Potter in the evenings. Minerva can assist me if necessary."

"Very well, Severus. I know you have to start brewing right away, so you may go. Please contact me if there is anything that you need," Dumbledore said, standing with Snape as the Potions Master headed towards the door.

As his hand touched the handle, Snape turned, "Potter, lessons will be cancelled until further notice due to the brewing schedule; however, I expect you to study and be prepared when we resume."

"Yes, Professor," Harry responded as Snape exited.

"Well, Gentlemen, it is getting late so I will bid you both goodnight," the Headmaster stated, walking Remus and Harry to the door.

"Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention," Dumbledore praised Remus. "And Harry," he continued kindly, "Don't worry about what is to come. I have the utmost faith in Professor Snape and everything will work out in the end."

Taking that as his cue, Harry grasped the door handle and stepped onto the staircase, followed by Remus.

"Goodnight, Headmaster," Harry said quietly.

"Goodnight, Harry. Pleasant dreams," smiled Dumbledore.

As Remus walked with Harry back to Gryffindor Tower, he asked, "I know this all comes as a shock to you. Get some sleep and we can talk more about this tomorrow if you want."

"Thanks for finding out what's wrong with me," Harry responded as they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "And thanks for letting me see my parents and Sirius."

"You're welcome. Now try and get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow," Remus replied, squeezing Harry's shoulder.

* * *

A/N: Please review and let me know what you think of Harry's back story! Special thanks to _boushh_, who was kind enough to beta this chapter. Also, I'd like to thank all of you that reviewed or added me to your story alerts or favorites! _Coming up_: Harry shares his worries as he starts to get withdrawal symptoms. Harry's birthday arrives and preparations for potion administration begin!

If you're interested, check out my profile page where I'll continue to post updates on the progress of future chapters. I apologize for the delay between chapters. I'm aiming for once a month updates. When I started writing this, I was hoping updates could be more frequent, but real life has gotten in the way. Don't worry, I will continue this story! I hate when I enjoy a story only to find it isn't finished.


	11. Transformation

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1_

Tingling arms greeted Harry as he awoke the next morning. Unlike previous attacks, his limbs continued to feel like pins and needles for nearly an hour. Tired of dwelling on what was to come, Harry grabbed his Firebolt and headed to the Quidditch Pitch.

Flying had always been a way for Harry to escape the events going on around him and today was no exception. As soon as his feet left the ground, Harry felt better than he had in weeks. His mind was focused on spectacular dives and practicing new maneuvers that he read about in one of Ron's Quidditch magazines. Thoughts of Sirius, the prophecy, Horcruxes, and the potion that would wear off in a fortnight flew to the deep recesses of his memory as he pitched the broom straight up in the air. Harry swiftly changed directions by spinning upside down. It was in this awkward position that Harry was brought back to reality.

From his vantage point, Harry spotted a darkly clad man walking in the Forbidden Forest. Pulling his wand out of his back pocket and holding it tightly, Harry looked back towards the castle. He wished he knew how to send a message to Dumbledore like the Order members did and vowed to ask Remus the next time he saw him.

He knew that by the time he returned to the castle and found help the man would be gone. Believing he had only one solution, Harry flew over the trees, circling the man from above.

From this new position, Harry watched the man, dressed in a black cloak, circle the forest floor. The man had his wand alight and was turning over logs with his feet. Harry squinted in an attempt to identify him, but he was too far up and the man's face was obscured by his hood as he bent over one of the logs and peeled away some bark.

Harry slowly lowered himself, aimed at the man's back, and yelled, "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

The jet of light hit its intended target and the man froze, falling to the ground with a small grunt. Harry kept his wand pointed at the man as he flew down and landed on the ground. The man's face was hidden from view and Harry didn't want to take any chances that the man would escape.

As he was about to conjure ropes to bind his capture, Harry stepped forward and heard the unmistakable sound of broken glass under his heel. Stepping back, he peered at the glass and recognized it as a potions vial.

Harry looked back at the man and got a sinking feeling that he had just made a very dangerous mistake.

"No!" Harry moaned under his breath. He slowly took a few steps forward and spotted a clump of black, oily hair sticking out from under the cloak. After five years, Harry would recognize that hair anywhere.

"Oh, Merlin!" Harry groaned as the truth set in. He had just attacked Professor Snape.

Hurrying to the professor's side, Harry set his wand down on the ground and carefully rolled Snape over. The moment the cold, black eyes met Harry's, he knew he was about to be in serious trouble.

"Bloody hell!' Harry cursed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Snape's dark eyes bored into Harry's and followed him as he bent down to grab is fallen wand.

Taking a deep breath, Harry once again pointed his wand at Snape. With a quick wish for mercy, he removed the body bind.

Snape stood faster than Harry thought possible and grabbed Harry by the arms.

"Professor, I…"

"Save it," Snape growled, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him though the deep brush that surrounded the tall forest trees.

Harry barely managed to grab his Firebolt and struggled to keep up with a very annoyed Snape, whose grip on his arm was amazingly strong.

Harry never truly appreciated how far the Forbidden Forest was from the castle until being forced to make the trek in silence with Snape at his side. Once they reached the castle, Snape pushed Harry inside and stormed across the Entrance Hall. Harry followed Snape to his office and watched as the professor spelled open his office door with a _bang_.

Turning to Harry, Snape glared and gestured for him to enter. "Sit," he said coldly, slamming the door behind him.

Maintaining eye contact, Snape sat, took a deep breath, and uttered a single word. "Explain."

"I'm sorry!" Harry rapidly replied. "I was flying and I saw you in the forest, only I didn't know it was you at the time. I thought it was a Death Eater, I mean a real one, not just a spy--," Harry rambled.

"_Enough!_" Snape spat. "I think I've heard enough of your babbling to deduce exactly what happened."

Snape leaned forward and continued, "First, you, in your infinite wisdom, decided to go flying without informing anyone."

"I--," Harry tried to interrupt, but wisely held his tongue at Snape's glare.

"Then, when you spotted someone in the forest that you believed to be dangerous, you decided to attack first before alerting a fully trained wizard far more skilled than yourself. Am I correct, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked with a sneer.

"Yes, sir, but--," Harry answered.

"But nothing. Lucky for you I would not cause you mortal harm. Had I not been distracted, _scouring_ the forest for an ingredient in your potion," Snape snarled, causing Harry to blush embarrassedly, "you would most likely be residing in the hospital wing for the remainder of the day. Wizards do not take kindly to attacks and I for one act first and ask questions later," Snape finished darkly.

Harry paled. He had no doubt that he'd be covered in bandages and force-fed Skelegro by Madam Pomfrey if Snape had not been uncharacteristically preoccupied by his search.

"I'm beginning to wonder what it will take for some sense to sink into that thick skull of yours. One would think Black's death would have taught you to think things through before you act," Snape stated seriously.

At the mention of his godfather, Harry became furious. "Shut up! Don't talk about Sirius!" he yelled.

Raising his voice, Snape interrupted. "I _will _mention him if that is what it takes for you to realize the severity of your actions. I am in charge of teaching you how to defend yourself. How can I do that if you continually go charging head first into dangerous situations! Wake up, Potter! You may be the one to ultimately defeat the Dark Lord, but the war is not meant for you alone to fight!"

"I know that!" Harry retorted.

"Then act like it!" Snape growled.

"I was just trying to stop someone that I thought was dangerous. I didn't think that anyone would make it out in time and no one ever taught me how to send a message for help. How am I supposed to ask for help if I don't know how to?" Harry asked.

"Stand up," Snape ordered, grabbing his wand and moving in front of his desk.

Harry slowly stood and looked questioningly at his professor.

"Wand out," Snape commanded.

Harry complied and prepared himself for an attack. Instead, the professor began speaking.

"Since you are adept at the Patronus charm, you should have no problem with the verbal modification to the spell. The wand movements and mindset requirements are the same; however, the incantation is _Oratio Patronum_. Try it," Snape instructed.

Harry smiled, eager to try the spell. He thought about his first trip to Diagon Alley and incanted, "_Oratio Patronum!_"

A silver stag sprang from the tip of his wand. Harry, unsure of what to do next, glanced up at Snape.

Snape was glaring at the stag, but quickly returned his attention back to Harry. "Simply look the animal directly in the eyes, think about exactly what you want to say, and to whom you want the message sent."

Harry reached out an arm and touched the stag on the head. 'Deliver this message to Professor Snape: I'm really sorry I hit you and thanks for teaching me this spell.'

The stag bowed to Harry, nuzzled against his hand, and pranced across the room to Snape. Snape met its eyes and after a moment it returned to Harry.

As he looked the stag in the eyes, Snape's voice echoed in his head, "Very well, but don't think you won't be punished for your actions."

Once the message was relayed, the stag vanished. Snape pocketed his wand and remarked, "Now that you know that spell there will be no excuse for dangerous behavior. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Harry muttered.

"Now that you've successfully interrupted my work on your potion, I suggest you follow me to the lab."

-333-

Once in the lab, Snape directed Harry to a worktable in the back corner, far away from a bench of three simmering cauldrons.

"I believe a day of hard work will help you remember our conversation. I'm in charge of restocking the hospital wing's potion supplies over the summer and with the addition of your potion, I don't have the time to prepare the ingredients. You will be peeling dragon scales, disemboweling several fresh specimens, and will complete any other tasks I set for you. Any questions?" Snape stated with a smirk as he emptied his pockets and carefully set several vials full of fresh ingredients on the bench.

"No, sir. Do you have an extra pair of gloves?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

Snape responded by dumping a bucket full of slimy animal carcasses onto the table. "Get to work," he commanded before returning to his bubbling cauldrons.

-333-

Several hours later, Harry was elbow deep in troll entrails when a chime sounded throughout the lab. As he looked up, Snape stalked to the door and opened it.

"What?" he growled.

"Hello, Severus," Remus greeted.

"What do you want, Lupin?" Snape sneered.

"When Harry was not at breakfast this morning, Albus informed me that he was with you. I took the liberty of bringing you both something to eat, seeing as it is now nearly noon," Remus answered, pointing towards an eager Dobby.

Dobby pushed past Remus and peaked into the potions lab. "Hello, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked excitedly as he shifted from one foot to the other.

"Hello, Dobby," Harry replied, smiling at the antics of the little elf.

"Come and eat, Severus. I'm to report back to Albus and he won't want to hear that you didn't join us," Remus added with a sly grin.

Snape growled, "Very well. Potter, go wash up and don't forget where you left off. You _will_ be returning."

Dobby led the men to a nearby classroom. With a wave of his hand, desks moved together, place settings appeared, and trays of food arrived. Finished, Dobby turned to the others and bowed, "If sirs needs anything else, just call on Dobby."

With that, Dobby vanished and the wizards were left to enjoy their meal.

The small feast was quite uneventful. Snape sat as far away from the two Gryffindors as possible and ate in silence. Harry and Remus chatted; quiet laughter bubbled up from their side of the table every few minutes.

As everyone cleared the last bits of food off of their plates, Snape cleared his throat. Once he had Harry's attention, he asked, "I need to monitor your condition as the Exsarcio potion is excreted from your system. What symptoms have you experienced thus far?"

"Well," Harry began, "the only things I've noticed are tingling in the morning and my hair getting longer. This morning the tingling lasted about an hour."

"Is that normal?" Remus added worriedly.

"Quite," Snape responded. Turning to Harry, he added, "I'd prefer not to see you every day, so write down your symptoms daily and owl them to me. If you should require medical assistance, contact Madam Pomfrey or myself immediately. And remember—you no longer have any excuse not to."

Snape headed to the door and stopped to glance at a pocket watch. "Potter, you have one hour, after which I expect you back in the lab. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Harry snapped as Snape left the room.

Remus chuckled, "I heard you two had quite an interesting morning."

"How'd you know?" Harry asked curiously.

"The Headmaster told me," Remus answered.

"Oh. Remus, if only you saw the look on his face when I petrified him. I thought he was gonna murder me!" Harry sighed, "I just don't get it. One minute he's lecturing and belittling me and in the next he's giving me veiled compliments and teaching me the _Oratio Patronum_ spell."

"There are many things you don't know about Professor Snape. He may be harsh, but deep down I think he is a good person," Remus remarked.

Harry scoffed, "I'll believe it when I see it."

"I wish you could, Harry," Remus said seriously. "But I'm afraid time may not have been enough to heal his wounds."

Harry looked at Remus questioningly and hoped that he would elaborate, but his former professor quickly changed the subject. "I know all this news about your accident and the potion withdrawal can't be easy to deal with. I want you to know that you can always come to me when you want to talk."

"I know. I just wish I had known about this sooner," Harry lamented.

"I'm sorry. With everything that's been going on lately, I honestly forgot," Remus apologized resting his hand on Harry's shoulder.

-333-

It had been ten days since what Harry referred to as his day in potions purgatory. Snape had kept Harry until suppertime, ordering him to disembowel several species of aquatic animals. He sorted salamander eyes, peeled spiny scales off of dried dragon hide, sorted and cut troll entrails, and collected venom from more poisonous snakes that Harry could count.

"Best to put your _talent_ to good use," Snape smirked as he handed Harry a box of collection vials and several bottles of anti-venom. "Just in case," Snape added.

Harry did his best to avoid Snape after that day. He sent Hedwig every morning with a note listing his symptoms, the only addition being nightmares that started two days earlier.

Besides meeting with Lupin at least once a day, Harry kept himself occupied by flying and finishing his homework. He knew Hermione would be proud of him for finishing his work. Harry wasn't trying to be a good student, but he was worried that as his birthday grew closer he would not be in any kind of physical or mental shape to complete his assignments.

But today was different. Professor Dumbledore had informed Harry at lunch the day before that Hermione and the Weasleys would be visiting him at lunchtime for an early birthday celebration.

Harry stood outside the entrance to the Great Hall. He could hear his friends' laughter through a crack in the great wooden doors.

When Harry heard Hermione shouting at Ron, he couldn't help but smile. Hearing their voices made him appreciate how much he missed them this summer.

"What are you waiting for?" a female voice carried across the Entrance Hall.

"Hey, Tonks," Harry greeted as Remus and his girlfriend stepped towards him.

Remus smiled and shrugged as Tonks grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him into the Great Hall.

"Harry!" shouted several different voices at once. He caught sight of Hermione and Ron running up to greet him.

"Harry!" Hermione said, embracing him quickly.

"Hey, mate!" Ron greeted.

"Harry, it's wonderful to see you again!" Mrs. Weasley rejoiced, pulling Harry into a tight hug.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. How are you?" Harry greeted.

"We're all fine, you sweet boy," Mrs. Weasley remarked tearfully, cupping Harry's cheek with her palm. "My look how you've grown!" she noted as she stepped away, presumably to inspect his taller stature and straighter hair.

Harry blushed, uncomfortable with the sudden scrutiny. Luckily, he was saved from further embarrassment by Arthur Weasley.

"Hello Harry, wonderful to see you again," Mr. Weasley greeted with him with a firm handshake.

"Yes, Harry, smashing to see you again," Fred joked, slinging his arm over Harry's shoulders.

"What a fine looking chap," George sniggered, slapping Harry on the back.

The twins pulled Harry away from the adults and towards the group of teenagers assembled at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, Harry," Ginny greeted with a shy smile.

"'lo," remarked Neville.

"Hi, guys," Harry responded, surprised to see Neville and Luna were present as well.

Luna's eyes never left Harry's face. She stood, reached out a hand, and touched a strand of his hair. "You're changing, you know," she commented dreamily.

"Err, well," mumbled Harry in an effort to stall and come up with a believable excuse. He didn't want to tell them all about the potion when he hadn't spoken to any of them in weeks.

"Hey Harry," George called as he set a large package on the table.

"Wait till you see our new inventions!" Fred continued.

"Yeah, Harry, you won't believe some of the stuff they've come up with. Mum said we aren't allowed to open presents until after we eat," Ron added.

"Hey, mum!" Ron shouted, "When are we eating? I'm starving!"

-333-

Within minutes of sitting down to eat with his friends, Harry realized they were not angry at him for the events in the Department of Mysteries. Hermione's wounds had healed and Ron had no lasting damage from the brains. Luna revealed quite bluntly that she was happy to have friends who would include her, while Neville admitted that his grandmother had more respect for him and even announced that she was proud of him.

Ginny cornered Harry as the group said goodbye to the adults for a bit and made their way to the Room of Requirement. She whispered that her brothers took her defense skills seriously now and was enjoying scaring them a bit. "You should see their faces when they're all waiting for me to get out of the loo in the morning. One threat and they scatter like gnomes," Ginny smirked.

Once they reached the room and settled into the cushy armchairs that appeared, Harry began to speak, "After everything each of you did for me at the Ministry, I think you all should know what Voldemort was after. It all starts with Trelawney."

"That fraud?" Ginny asked.

"She's not as big a fraud as I once thought," Harry answered. "Before my parents were killed, Trelawney made a prophecy to Dumbledore. Unfortunately, a Death Eater overheard the first half and told Voldemort. He thought that the prophecy contained the key to his power, so he followed the first half that said _the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies_. Based on this information, Voldemort murdered my parents, but his spell backfired and I didn't die. When he came back, Voldemort needed to hear the rest of the prophecy. However, Dumbledore wasn't about to tell him what it said, so he had to get access to a copy of the prophecy stored in the Department of Mysteries. He couldn't just walk right in and get it himself, so he lured me there by making me think my godfather, Sirius Black, was kidnapped and being tortured. And, well, you all know the rest."

"But why did he pick you?" Neville asked. "Couldn't it have referred to anyone born at the end of July, even me?"

"It could have been you in the beginning, but since he marked me with this," Harry stated, lifting his fringe and pointing to his lightning-bolt shaped scar, "the prophecy can only refer to me. The part he didn't know said _…And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives_."

"He's still with you, you know," Luna stated airily. At the confused look the others gave her, she clarified, "Your godfather. I know you miss him, but he'll always be with you."

Harry couldn't help but smile. He replied quietly, "I know," as his friends watched his reaction with pitying looks.

Not wanting to discuss Sirius, Harry quickly changed the subject and told them all about the Exsarcio potion and its withdrawal. He decided to wait until later to talk to Hermione and Ron in private about the Horcruxes.

After hearing about the potion, Harry was surprised that they didn't have any questions, but were more concerned with how he was handling it all.

"Well, it's a shock. I don't know what I'll look like, but I'm hoping I'll still see parts of my mum and dad," Harry answered when asked what he thought.

"It could be worse. Imagine if Snape and his mentor didn't come up with the new potion. You'd have to go through this every fifteen years!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Could be worse? I think having to trust Snape is bad enough!" Ron retorted.

"Harry should trust Snape. He's a professor _and_ an Order member," Hermione shot back.

Once Hermione and Ron started arguing and Ginny threatened to hex them both, Harry and his friends ventured back to the Great Hall where they enjoyed the rest of their time together until Mrs. Weasley gathered everyone up to go home.

-333-

Two days later, Harry awoke from his first nightmare of the evening. He went to the loo to wash his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

"You really should get some sleep, dear," the womanly voice of the mirror suggested.

"Sod off," he mumbled to the object in response.

Harry sighed, rubbing at his eyes, which were surrounded by dark circles. His hair was disheveled and he looked a mess. Harry hadn't had a good night's sleep in days since the nightmares started happening every time he closed his eyes. He reported them to Snape and as expected did not receive any owls from the man in response.

Harry dried his hands on his pajama bottoms and decided to try and get some more sleep. He knew he'd be awoken within a few hours with another nightmare, but he was so exhausted that he was willing to give sleep another try.

A few hours later, Harry jolted awake with a scream, this time due to a strange throbbing sensation in his arms. He quickly tugged them out from under the sheets. The sight that greeted him caused his breathing to accelerate as panic set in. His arms looked as though dozens of earthworms were slithering just beneath the skin. Suddenly, his face started to tingle. Reaching up his shaky hands, Harry lightly touched his cheeks and felt the moving lumps on his face as well.

Desperate for help, Harry put on his dressing gown and hurried down the dormitory stairs. He raced down the moving staircases and found himself in front of Snape's laboratory. He hesitated for a second, but one glance at the wiggling flesh on the back of his hand had him pounding on the wooden door.

Snape appeared suddenly, wand in hand. "What," he began to say, but stopped as he recognized Harry at his doorstep.

"In," Snape motioned, grabbing Harry by the shoulder and forcing him to sit in an armchair he transfigured from a three-legged stool.

Harry watched as Snape tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. He got down on his knees and stuck his head into the green flames.

Snape was occupied in the fireplace for several minutes. In that time, Harry was able to calm down a bit. He looked around the room to see four potions bubbling slightly on a chipped, stained wooden bench. A stirring rod made of glass sat next to a bright red potion and the drop of liquid attached to it was slowly burning a hole into the table.

He looked across to Snape then looked down at his feet.

"Merlin!" Harry muttered embarrassedly as he saw that he was wearing a pair of yellow socks. In his worry, he hadn't even bothered to dress properly for his trip down to the dungeons.

Snape stood and brushed the soot off of the front of his robes. He moved behind his workbench, grabbed the stirring rod, and methodically mixed the potion in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Harry watched his lips as they counted the stirs.

When finished, he wiped off the rod and set it back down on the table with a muttered curse as he must have noticed the hole burnt into the table. Snape took out his wand and silently repaired the hole, leaving behind a ring of red stained into the wood.

As he pocketed his wand, a knock sounded at the door.

"Get in," was all Harry heard Snape say before Remus came rushing towards him.

"Harry! How are you feeling?" Remus asked worriedly, sitting on the armrest of the chair and resting his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"My arms and face are really starting to feel funny," Harry responded tiredly.

Snape moved to sit on a nearby stool. "You have entered the second to last stage I was describing earlier. There should not be any pain, merely a sensation of insects crawling across the face and arms. Based on the progression of the symptoms, Lupin will be escorting you to the hospital wing where you will stay for the next several days. No wandering, no mischief, and most of all, _no_ magic. Do I make myself clear, Potter?"

"Yes, sir, but isn't there something I can take to stop this?" asked Harry as he raised his arms and gestured to his pulsating forearms.

"No magic, Potter!" Snape snarled, "However, hourly manipulation of the area and warm compresses will relieve some of the discomfort."

Turning to Remus, Snape added, "Lupin, the full moon isn't for another day. Until that time, you are responsible for Potter's care. If you need help, call on Minerva or one of the house elves. I'm far too busy working on potions for the _two_ of you to play nursemaid. Keep warm compresses on the skin and massage Potter's arms and face hourly."

Without another word, Snape stood and pulled open the door. As Remus and Harry passed through the threshold, Snape called, "And Potter?"

"Yes?"

"Congratulations on finally listening and contacting a professor for help," Snape remarked as he looked Harry in the eyes.

Harry shook his head at the backhanded compliment. "Thanks," he said just as Snape slammed the door closed.

-333-

The next day and a half had not been kind to Harry. The tingling soon escalated to burning pain. Chills coursed through his body and every time he closed his eyes a new nightmare would play out in his mind. The hallucinations started on the last day. Screams could be heard occasionally as Harry struggled to fight off invisible enemies. Tears coursed down his face when those battles ended in imaginary deaths.

Snape had entered the hospital wing during one such hallucination. Remus and Minerva were struggling to control Harry, who was standing in his hospital gown and attempting to use his glasses as a wand to defeat an unseen adversary. Blood dripped from his fingertips as the broken glass from the crushed lenses pierced his palm.

"Typical Gryffindors," Snape muttered as he strode forward.

Snape pushed Lupin out of the way and grabbed Potter by the shoulders. Squeezing tightly, he looked him in the eyes and said firmly, "Calm yourself."

Snape watched as Potter slowly dropped his arms. The boy suddenly slumped forward, unconscious. Snape caught him before he hit the ground and Lupin rushed over to help carry the boy back to bed as Minerva held back the covers.

"Thanks," Lupin remarked, panting slightly from exertion.

Snape didn't acknowledge the gratitude but walked back over to a table by the entrance to the hospital wing.

"Here," Snape uttered, shoving a goblet of steaming liquid towards Lupin. "I've come to watch Potter, seeing as in a few hours you'll only be capable of howling at the moon."

Lupin growled slightly, his wolf instincts already starting to come out. He made no comment to Snape and instead turned to Minerva, "Thanks for your help. I appreciated it."

"No problem. Take care of yourself."

"I will," Lupin smiled. He rested a hand on Harry's forehead before nodding to Snape and leaving.

Minerva left several minutes later, leaving Snape alone to play bodyguard to the Boy-Who-Lived. He snatched up his hand to remove the glass and clean the few resulting cuts the Muggle way.

In the hours that followed, Snape was thankful that the boy hadn't regained consciousness. Since the potion had to simmer until midnight, he decided to catch up on brewing stock for the hospital wing.

Two hours and fifty vials of Pepperup Potion later, Snape was perusing the latest issue of the _Journal of Wizarding Research_ when the clock chimed midnight. He quickly set down the quarterly and moved to stand over the boy.

Before his eyes, Potter's skin stopped wiggling and large, twisted scars appeared. With a groan, Harry slowly opened his eyes.

"Careful, Potter," Snape warned as Harry tried to sit up. "The Exsarcio Potion has worn off and your current appearance may be of some shock, but you must remain calm."

"Where are my glasses?" he asked.

With a quick Reparo to its pieces, Snape restored the glasses and put them on Harry's face for him.

"Why did you do that? I can put my glasses on myself. I can use my hands, see?" Harry remarked, lifting his hand.

When he caught sight of it, Harry screamed, "What did you DO to me!"

The skin on his arms and hands was hairless and paper thin, both crisscrossed by prominent pink scars. The skin on his hands was taut. He tried to make a fist and grimaced as he could barely bend his fingers. He reached up to touch his face and felt lines of scars there as well.

"Bloody hell!" Harry shouted.

"Language, Potter," Snape responded snidely. "Worried the papers won't want to print your new, rugged visage?"

"No," Harry growled angrily. "I never wanted fame. I'm just shocked at what I look like. Wouldn't you be shocked if your nose was suddenly straight?"

Harry watched wide-eyed as Snape bent down and produced a dagger from a sheath strapped to his ankle. He placed a strong hand on Harry's head, forcing him to stay still. In one quick swipe, Snape cut off several strands of his hair at the base of his scalp.

Harry saw that the hair nearly touched the floor as Snape carried the strands of hair to a nearby cauldron.

"So my hair's long too?" He asked curiously.

"Look for yourself," Snape answered, producing a mirror and tossing it on Harry's bed.

"Merlin," Harry breathed. "My face. Look at the scars! And my hair. It makes me look like Merlin," he muttered as he stared at the dark hair falling down his back.

Snape stalked back over to Harry with the knife in his hand, "I told you that the potion masked your natural features. It couldn't stop your growth, only mask it," Snape explained as he roughly grabbed Harry's hair in one hand and sliced off about a meter of it.

"Let me ask you; do you remember having a haircut?" Snape suddenly asked as he vanished the hair trimmings.

"Well, yeah. My aunt didn't like how it looked and she'd cut it down pretty low, but it always grew back by morning," Harry answered questioningly.

"Correct, Mr. Potter. The potion masked your hair growth, making you look more like your miserable father. The reason that your hair grew back was that it was very long to begin with. Trimming off a few centimeters wouldn't have left you bald."

As Harry examined his new, shoulder length hair, he watched the Potions Master inspect each strand he cut earlier. Harry thought they all looked alike, but the Professor must have deemed one better than the rest because he held it up over the potion and slowly lowered it into the steaming green liquid.

The Ardor Curatio Potion steamed and emitted a strange hissing noise, both of which stopped once the entire strand was added.

Snape turned off the flame and decanted the liquid into a nearby goblet.

"Here, Potter. If you want all of the scars treated, you better drink every drop."

"And this will get rid of all the scars? It's bad enough having one," Harry asked hesitantly.

"Again with the vanity, Potter. Just drink the potion!" Snape growled.

Harry glared at Snape, but took a deep breath and brought the goblet to his lips. He choked and started coughing after the first sip, but one look from the Potions Master had him swallowing the rest of it.

"Finally," Snape muttered, as Harry drained that last few drops.

Harry slid down the pillows barely able to keep his eyes open.

Snape grabbed the empty goblet from Harry's limp fingers and added, "The potion causes extreme fatigue as it begins to work. By the time you wake up again, you'll have your new, permanent appearance."

Harry managed to whisper, "Thanks," before he succumbed to the potion's effects.

Snape stared at the boy, not knowing what to make of him. He reached over and removed his glasses. In his mind, he wasn't removing them for Potter's comfort, but to prevent further damage to the lenses. He knew he'd be the one forced to repair them again.

Suddenly, four owls swooped into the room, each carrying a large package.

"Of course. Birthday offerings from the Harry Potter fan club," Snape muttered as he untied each package. "Happy Birthday, indeed," Snape murmured as he set the gifts on the bedside table and snatched up his journal, settling in for another night as Potter's watchdog.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you think of this story so far. Updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page.

Special thanks to my wonderful betas, _boushh_ and _xHarryIsMyHomeboyx_ who are both amazingly helpful! If you have added this fic to your alerts, favorites, or have taken the time to review, thank you so much!

_Coming up_: Harry's true appearance is revealed and Snape receives a mysterious delivery from beyond the grave.


	12. Realizations

_Disclaimer: See Ch. 1_

**Previously:**

Snape formulated a potion for Voldemort that allowed him to penetrate the wards on Number 4 Privet Drive. With the help of Fred and George, Harry and the Dursleys arrived safely to Hogwarts. Dumbledore ordered Snape and Harry to attempt to get along. The Headmaster told Harry of Petunia's jealousy towards Lily, which centered on Lily's ability to do magic and a young wizarding boy who favored Lily over Petunia. The boy but eventually lost their friendship after a schoolyard incident.

The Dursleys are staying at Hogwarts while their home is repaired. Dudley snuck out and went missing, but Harry was able to find him with the help of the Marauder's Map. However, when inspecting the map he saw that his name was flickering. In addition, Harry had been having strange dreams and tingling sensations in his arms. In his quest to learn more about the map, Harry asked Fred and George, who explained how they discovered the password.

Remus was much more helpful and remembered an incident during Harry's first birthday party where Harry was severely burned in the floo powder contaminated fireplace after crawling near the flames when no one was watching. A healing potion for the resulting wounds contained James' blood and was the reason why Harry looked so much like James. However, after 15 years, the potion was wearing off. In that time, Snape and his mentor discovered Ardor Curatio, a healing potion that would permanently restore one's natural appearance and only remove the scars. Following painful withdrawal symptoms, the original potion stopped working on his birthday. Snape administered the Ardor Curatio and Harry fell asleep as the brew took effect.

-333-

**Chapter 12: Realizations**

Severus sighed and ran a hand over his eyes. After being awake for thirty-six hours, he was looking forward to a chance to rest.

He turned back to where Potter lay in a peaceful sleep and yanked the empty potions bottle from his lax fingers. He paused and watched as thin red scars were slowly being erased from the boy's hand.

Snape's eyes rose from Potter's hand to his face. What was once a mirror image of his father, James, was now a visage only a mother would love. Tortuous scars weaved ugly patterns across his cheeks, not sparing an inch of skin. His eyebrows were nonexistent, but Severus could see tiny wisps of hair emerging. By the time Potter woke, his scars would be gone and he'd look as though the accident never occurred.

Severus wasn't interested in the changes to the boy's face, but was fascinated by how effective the Ardor Curatio potion was. Mistress Starkey had spent nearly eight years perfecting this particular potion before her death. He felt as though the completion of her advances in healing potions was one way he could use his talents to atone for the horrible decisions of his past.

Severus was startled from dwelling on his past regrets as a loud tapping sound echoed through the hospital wing. He recognized it immediately as the sign that a Post Owl had made a delivery. He was, however, surprised by the time at which the owl arrived, as post was typically delivered during normal school hours. Severus set down the vial he had been holding and headed to Madame Pomfrey's office to investigate.

"Merlin..." Snape muttered as he spotted the delivery bird. Instead of the ordinary post owl, Severus was greeted by a tiny blue speckled bird. "A Jobberknoll," he stated in wonder.

While the Jobberknoll was not a rare bird, it was quite elusive and most specimens typically preferred to stay near their nests. Severus had never seen one alive, let alone being used to deliver post. He had read about the use of their feathers in memory potions, but had never been fortunate enough to own such expensive ingredients. Severus moved forward cautiously, careful not to scare away the potential source of such a valuable potion ingredient.

Once he was within an arm's reach, the bird dutifully raised its talon bearing a tiny package and a letter the size of a Muggle business card addressed to _Severus Snape_.

Suspicious, Severus first checked the missive for dangerous curses before unshrinking and opening the attached letter. He read,

_Dear Mr. Snape,_

_On behalf of the estate of Missus Lily Evans Potter and in accordance with her last Will and Testament, enclosed is a vial containing several memories. The contents were to be delivered after midnight on July 31__st__, 1996 to one Severus Snape. In order to restore the memories, the recipient must first ingest a Class III Memory Potion prepared with three feathers from the accompanying Jobberknoll. Please contact a Ministry certified Potions Master to have the potion formulated. _

_If the recipient is not Severus Snape, please return this missive to Gringotts Bank, Estate Division. Ministry law prohibits tampering with official documents as per Sec. 2473-011 of the Gringotts Code of Conduct._

_Sincerely,_

_Griselda Greenback_

_Goblin Undersecretary of Wills and Probate  
__Gringotts Bank_

Severus grabbed the edge of the desk for support, feeling like his legs couldn't support him for a moment. His hands were shaking and he instinctively lowered himself into a nearby chair. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and he closed his eyes, focusing on getting his erratic breathing back under control.

After several minutes, his unsettled demeanor was replaced by an emotionless mask as he reread the letter. When he was done, he sighed and stared at the parchment. While he appeared calm, his thoughts were racing.

He had no idea why Lily would send him memories this long after her death. His only thought was that it was a recount of the accident on Potter's first birthday. Lily knew he was skilled at Potions and that he would be able to help once Potter's potion wore off. However, the nature of the memories discounted his theory. He needed to ingest a Class III Memory Potion before viewing the memories, indicating that the attached memories were his own. The only reason he would need this specific type of memory potion is if he had been Obliviated. The potion was used specifically to restore memories taken from one wizard by another.

But why would Lily have his memories? Was she the one to remove them? Why would she do such a thing? As far as he knew, he and Lily never spoke after they graduated.

He couldn't resist another chance to see her again, even if it was just a memory. Eager to start the potion, Severus looked towards where he last saw the Jobberknoll. The bird had already left, but in its place were ten bright blue spotted feathers. He pulled out a satchel from his robes and carefully stored the precious ingredients.

Without a thought to Potter, who lay in a nearby bed, Severus swept past him. He grabbed a handful of Floo powder and called out, "Potions Laboratory, password hellebore," before disappearing in a roar of green flames.

He returned in less than five minutes, carrying a silver cauldron filled to the brim with ingredients. Despite preferring to work in his own lab, Severus began to set up his cauldron in the stock room. He told Albus he'd monitor Potter's condition throughout the night and would honor his responsibilities. He quickly set to work, his prior exhaustion vanished and replaced by adrenaline-fueled desire to see Lily once more.

-333-

Harry awoke slowly after his first peaceful sleep in weeks. He was laying face down and yawned into his pillow while blindly searching for his glasses with his left hand. After a few seconds of feeling around, Harry remembered the events of the past few days and bolted upright. Jumping to his feet, he snatched his glasses off of the nightstand and grabbed his wand, stuffing it in his back pocket as he practically flew to the loo.

"Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed as he stood in front of the mirror, examining new appearance.

"No need for such language, young man!" the feminine voice of the mirror reprimanded.

Harry didn't respond, too stunned by what he saw. His hair, once short and messy, was now perfectly straight, but uneven. The shoddy haircut was to be expected, considering Snape chopped it off to add a few strands to the potion, but the texture was not. In place of his unruly locks were jet black strands of hair that fell above his shoulders.

Once he got over the change to his hair, Harry looked closer at his face. His nose was longer, but not exceedingly so. His skin was paler, accentuating his brilliant green eyes and lightning bolt scar. Next he held up his hands. Unfortunately, the words _I must not tell lies_ still remained and stood out even clearer on his pale skin. He flexed and extended his fingers, engrossed in seeing fingers that were longer and thinner than before. He looked down at his feet, noting his toes looked a bit longer as well. The cuffs of his pajamas looked like they hit the same spot on his ankle as always, causing Harry to sigh as he realized he didn't grow any taller.

'At least I didn't get any shorter,' Harry thought. If not for his eyes and familiar glasses, he would have thought he was looking at a stranger. He could pick out more features of his mum than before and scanned his face in the mirror, hoping to find a few more of his father's features had remained.

His new appearance was unsettling. Ever since entering the wizarding world, Harry had been compared to his father. He loved hearing more about his parents, but being compared to a man he longed to know better was difficult. Now he missed his dad's messy hair. His nose and skin tone didn't match the photos of his parents either. Harry sighed, staring into the mirror and seeing a stranger staring back at him.

-333-

Severus stirred the teal colored liquid counterclockwise and added the third and final Jobberknoll feather. With one last stroke the potion turned a deep blue. Severus sighed and swiped his brow, relieved that the difficult memory potion turned out perfectly. Not that he doubted his skills, but sleep deprivation and rare ingredients always made brewing much more dangerous. He shut off the flame, carefully decanted the liquid into a shatterproof vial, and slipped it in his robes.

'Potter should be up by now,' he thought as he cleaned his workspace. Grabbing his packed cauldron, he stalked out towards Potter's hospital bed, only to see the boy was not there.

-333-

"Potter!" Severus roared, setting his cauldron on a nightstand.

Inside the bathroom, Harry jumped. "Coming!" He shouted back, hurrying to finish dressing.

"Now, Potter!" Snape yelled back. "I'm not waiting all day for you to stare at yourself in the mirror, bo—,"

Snape was cut off as the door swung open and Harry stepped out, hopping as he put on one of his trainers.

"All right, all right! I'm here!" Harry exclaimed in annoyance. When he looked up, he saw that Snape was staring at him. The professor was looking at him strangely, as though he were surprised by what he saw. However, Harry didn't have time to decipher Snape's expression because the professor quickly averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

"Sit over there. I'll need to make sure the potion's worked properly," Snape commented quietly.

Harry was confused. A second ago he was yelling at him and now he was being almost civil. Harry sat on the bed and Snape wasted no time. He stepped forward and peered into Harry's eyes, pulling down his lower lids. Next he lit his wand and had Harry open his mouth. He used the light to examine his throat. Then he tapped Harry's elbows and knees with his wand, causing his arms and legs to jerk.

"Normal reflexes," Snape muttered to himself. With another flick of his wand, Harry could hear his own heartbeat and breathing in the room as though the sounds were amplified a hundred times.

"All right, Potter, you seem to be fine. Can you see ok? No double vision? Do you see anyone else in the room or hear any disembodied voices?"

"No," Harry replied. Those sounded like pretty bad side effects to him.

Before Snape could respond, Dumbledore strode into the infirmary, his yellow robes flowing around him.

"My, Harry. I'm pleased to see your true appearance," Dumbledore responded with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," Harry responded.

Turning to Severus, the Headmaster added, "I trust there were no complications?"

"None, Headmaster," Snape answered.

"Good, good. Well, Severus, I'm sure you'd like to rest. I'll take care of Harry from here and speak with you later this evening."

Snape nodded, grabbed his cauldron, and turned to leave.

"Professor!" Harry called.

"Yes, Potter?" he replied tiredly.

"Thanks for everything," Harry said softly.

Snape stared at him for a second and inclined his head before sweeping out of the infirmary.

-333-

Dumbledore turned back to Harry once Snape exited, eyes twinkling. "I'm happy to see that both of you are putting in the effort to be civil to one another," he smiled.

Harry smiled, "Since I was asleep or unconscious for most of the time we spent together, it really wasn't that difficult."

Dumbledore chuckled and picked up a package from the bedside table, "It seems in all the excitement I forgot my manners. Happy Birthday, my boy."

Harry grabbed the offered package, "Thanks, sir!" Opening it, he found an old hatbox full of pictures. He reached in and pulled out a random picture of two young girls, one with blonde hair and the other with red hair and green eyes, playing in a sandbox. On the back was the inscription, _Lily age 5, Petunia age 7_. Smiling, Harry stared at the girls in the yellowing Muggle photograph in surprise.

"Where did you get these?" Harry asked Dumbledore, looking up and keeping a careful hold on his precious gift.

Dumbledore looked sad, but gave a weak smile. "I found these in the attic of your aunt's home while we were doing repairs. They were buried beneath boxes of your cousin's baby clothes and I thought you would like them, so I made copies of them all."

"Thank you, Professor. I couldn't ask for a better gift," Harry said softly, mesmerized.

"You are most welcome. I know you are eager to look through them, but I do believe your friends would like to celebrate with you today. Molly wanted me to bring you by in time for breakfast, so why don't we gather these gifts and head over?"

With a flourish of his wand, all the gifts were neatly bundled together. Dumbledore picked them up and escorted Harry, who was carrying the box of pictures, to the floo. The Headmaster went through first and Harry followed, calling out, "The Burrow!"

He was saved from falling on his face by the surprisingly strong grip of the Headmaster.

"Harry!" came a shout from across the room. He looked up just in time to see Hermione running up to him.

"Don't!" Ron shouted at Hermione, grabbing her arm and pointing his wand at Harry.

"How can we be sure that's Harry? It doesn't look anything like him!" Ron announced, pushing Hermione behind him.

Harry looked around the room in shock. The twins were staring at him, both reaching for their wands. Hermione was struggling to get out of Ron's grasp. Ginny walked into the room and stopped in the doorway, gaping at Harry.

"Harry, I think you better prove who you are before spells are exchanged," Dumbledore commented with a smile, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Harry thought for a second and asked, "You've all seen or heard about my _Patronus_, right?"

Following a series of nods, Harry raised his wand, thought about the first time he visited the Burrow, and called, "_Expecto Patronum_!"

A brilliant stag shimmered in front of Harry and stood, turning its head as if looking at all the occupants of the room. With one last glance at Harry, the stag faded. When Harry looked up at the Weasleys and Hermione, he saw recognition in all of their faces.

"Whoa, mate!" Ron called from his left as the boy looked Harry up and down with wide eyes.

Hermione walked up to Harry once more, whispering "sorry" into his ear as she gave him a hug.

"Check out his hair!" shouted one of the twins from the edge of the sofa, while the other stared at Harry in shock.

"You look great, Harry," Ginny replied with a smile as she walked up to the Headmaster, took the packages from him, and carried them into the kitchen.

"Well, Harry, I must get back, but I hope you have a great time. Remus will be by later to bring you back to Hogwarts," Dumbledore stated, patting Harry on the shoulder before disappearing in the green flames.

"Oh, Harry. You look wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley called as she exited the kitchen while wiping her damp hands on her apron.

She gave him a warm hug. When she pulled away, she left her hands on his shoulders. "You look so much like your mother," she replied a little teary eyed. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley. Thanks for having me over."

"Nonsense, you're always welcome here! Now, let me see what I can do with that haircut of yours before breakfast," Mrs. Weasley stated, turning Harry around to face away from her and towards the others in the room.

Hermione grabbed the photo box out of Harry's arm and set it on the side table.

"Yeah, Harry, did you try giving yourself a haircut in the dark without your glasses on? I've seen Fred here do a better job," George chuckled as he and his twin started transfiguring pillows into pebbles and began chucking them at each other.

"Boys! Put those pillows back!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, quickly ending the mock battle in her living room.

Harry laughed, "Yeah, this was the best Snape could do, I guess." Looking at the confused faces of everyone in the room, he added, "He brewed the potion that healed me and needed some hairs."

Ron looked at Harry seriously and replied, "Good thing you still have some left after the greasy git got done with you."

"Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley reprimanded.

Ron was red all the way to his ears and muttered an apology. Hermione just looked at him and shook her head.

Harry attempted to change the subject and save his friend from further embarrassment. "So you can cut hair, Mrs. Weasley?" he asked.

"Of course I can. With all these boys in the house, someone had to make sure they all looked presentable. Now, stand still," she added, her tongue poking out between her teeth as she raised her wand in concentration.

"_Vir saeta!" _

A puff of pink smoke surrounded Harry's head. He couldn't see and his hair felt like it was blowing in the wind, flying in all directions. Within a few seconds the wind stopped and the cloud faded. Ginny was holding up a mirror and Harry saw his hair was cut similarly to how it was before his transformation, only his hair was much neater looking. It was just long enough for him to hide his scar.

"Brilliant!" Harry remarked to a slightly nervous looking Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm glad you like it. Now, into the kitchen, all of you, before the food gets cold!" she responded.

-333-

After the teens polished off Mrs. Weasley's hearty breakfast, they all gathered around to help Harry open his presents. Neville and Luna gave him a gift when they celebrated his birthday earlier at Hogwarts, but still sent a card. The twins had also given Harry his present early, hoping to keep some of their best pranks a secret from their mother. Several DA members sent Harry cards and a few gave him some wizarding candy. He received enough _Sugar Quills, Fudge Flies, Acid Pops, Cockroach Clusters, Ice Mice, _and_ Chocolate Frogs_ to last him until the first Hogsmeade visit of the new school year.

"This is from me and Ginny," Ron said with a smile, handing over a package wrapped in red and gold paper with flying snitches.

"Thanks, guys!" Harry exclaimed, pulling out a new pair of Quidditch gloves and trying them on.

"They're dragon hide," Ginny added. "Charlie sent both of us a pair, so we thought you'd like a pair too."

"They're great. I've worn my other ones since first year and they're getting pretty tight," Harry added, taking the gloves off and admiring the shine of the dragon scales.

"Open mine next," Hermione called, holding up a rectangle package wrapped in blue paper with shimmering stars.

"How'd I know it was a book," Harry joked, peeling the wrapping off of _Teaching Defense to Teens: The Essential Defense Against the Dark Arts Curriculum_ by Professor Thaddeus Tutelage.

"I thought you could use that for DA lessons, that is, if you want to continue them," Hermione responded.

"We have to continue the DA this year," George stated with a hint of disappointment in his voice at the thought of the group not continuing.

"What do you mean, we?" Harry asked. "You both quit school after you set off the fireworks and unloaded the portable swamp."

"We didn't tell you guys?" Fred asked, looking towards George. "We're coming back to finish our NEWTS. Mum was devastated when we skipped out before finishing school. We thought she'd be mad, but instead she kept crying every time she saw us, talking about how she failed all her kids. We hated seeing her like that, so we talked to Dumbledore and he agreed to let us come back to finish the year and take our NEWTS before winter break."

"That's great!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yeah, who could go through life without sitting through another lecture with McGonagall or Snape?" George laughed.

"Besides," Fred added, "We found a place in Diagon Alley to rent, but the current tenant has the place until January. So, we'll use the next few months to test out some new products."

"And study for NEWTS," George added when he saw Hermione was ready to reprimand them.

"That's awesome, guys! I can't wait to see the place," Harry smiled, happy for the twins.

"We couldn't have done it without you, ickle Harrykins," Fred remarked, winking at him.

-333-

Harry opened the final packages, including _The Official Auror's Guide to Disguises_ from Tonks, who wrote to Harry saying she nicked the book from work and to "feign amnesia if asked who he got it from." Remus also sent him a book on becoming an animagus and a note stating that James and Sirius used it and to "not try anything in it alone."

After opening the gifts, they played a three on three game of Quidditch. Hermione quit after the first game, choosing to read the book on disguises from Tonks instead.

Before they knew it, Hermione was halfway through the book and everyone else abandoned Quidditch to see who could chuck garden gnomes the farthest. They ate lunch outside and moved inside as an afternoon thunderstorm rolled in.

"Hey, what's this?" Ginny asked, holding up the hatbox.

"Oh, that's some pictures from Dumbledore of my mum. You guys want to look at a few?" Harry asked, hoping everyone would agree. He was having a great time with his friends, but seeing the box again reminded him of how much he wanted to look through the photos.

"Sure. We've got about twenty minutes before dinner's ready," Ron remarked, as Ginny walked over and everyone huddled around Harry on the sofa.

After viewing each photo, Harry passed it around to his friends. He saw his mum on her first day of primary school, a tiny bag over her shoulders. He finally saw pictures of his grandparents, looking proud of their youngest daughter as she started her first day of school. In another, his grandmother was teary eyed, helping her attach a name tag to her shirt.

"Why's she crying?" Harry asked the others as he passed the photo to Ron.

Ron shook his head when he saw the picture. "Must be a girl thing. Mum did the same thing when each of us started school," Ron replied.

"My mum did too," Hermione added. "I think she was probably happy to see her youngest child starting school and realized she was no longer a baby," she theorized as she passed the image to Ginny.

In another shot, Petunia was hugging Lily, both wearing matching shoes and school bags. He saw some of Petunia and Lily's birthday parties, surrounded by tiny friends in colorful, pointy paper hats. With each photo he saw his mother and her family happy, growing older as the years passed.

They reached images of his mother at age nine when Remus stepped out of the fireplace about fifteen minutes later. He looked a little tired, but not as bad as Harry remembered one day after transforming.

"Hey, Remus," Harry called, passing another photo to Ron. The other teens called out greetings as well.

"Hi, everyone," Remus responded as he slowly took a seat in an armchair across from the sofa. "What are you looking at?"

"Professor Dumbledore gave me a box of photos of my mum growing up," Harry answered, reaching over to hand one to Remus, who smiled when he saw a young Lily posing in her Halloween costume.

"Thanks for the book," Harry added, gesturing towards the gifts on the side table.

"You're welcome. Just make sure you don't practice alone. Sirius did once and he was stuck with paws for half a day before we found him," Remus chuckled at the memory.

Harry promised he'd always have someone nearby and passed around another picture.

About two pictures later, Harry found one that made his heart speed up. Lily and a scrawny, black haired boy were sitting on a swing, smiling. He stared at the boy, thinking there was something familiar about his face. His hair was long and shined in the sun, as though it hadn't been washed in several days. His clothes weren't as nice as Lily's and his formerly white trainers were yellowed with age. Despite his appearance, it was the boy's eyes that were striking. They were black, piercing, and oddly familiar, as was his large nose.

'Is this the boy Dumbledore was talking about? Could he be the wizard boy who became friends with his mum and aunt, only to lose their friendship years later?' Harry wondered.

He was so shocked at finding the picture that he forgot to turn it over and read the writing on the back. Instead of handing the photo to Ron, who was waiting with his hand outstretched, Harry stood and brought the photo over to Remus.

"Do you know who this boy is?" Harry asked, pointing to the dark haired child.

Remus's expression grew sad and he sighed, rubbing his forehead, "I was wondering when you'd come across a picture of him. That's Professor Snape."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think of this story so far. I plan on finishing this fic and it's nice to have some feedback. Special thanks to my wonderful betas, _boushh_ and _xHarryIsMyHomeboyx_ who are both amazingly helpful!

Updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page.

If you have added this fic to your alerts, favorites, or have taken the time to review, thank you so much!

_Coming up_: Snape views the memories and learns a shocking truth.


	13. Past Reconciliation

_**Disclaimer: See Ch. 1**_

Special thanks to my wonderful betas, _**boushh**_ and _**xHarryIsMyHomeboyx**_ who are both amazingly helpful! Extra thanks to _**boushh**_, who helped me tremendously and reread this chapter dozens of times. These next two chapters wouldn't have turned out so well if it wasn't for your help!

**Chapter 13: Past Reconciliation**

Severus sighed as he stepped into his quarters. Although he called Hogwarts home, he considered his private rooms a sanctuary where he could escape from chattering teenagers and nosy colleagues. The many tomes that he collected over the years were stacked neatly on tall bookshelves that lined the walls. Worn oriental rugs covered the cold gray stone of the dungeon floor and delineated his sitting area from his workspace. The focal point of the sitting area, located on the right side of the room, was a fireplace framed by a mantle made of the same stone as the floor. Across from the fireplace were a coffee table and an ornately carved antique sofa that looked out of place in the otherwise Spartan room. It was upholstered in green velvet fabric and sandwiched between two end tables that each held a candle and stacks of potions journals. On either side of the fireplace were two well-used leather armchairs placed strategically next to the end tables.

After closing and latching the ancient wooden door, he strode to the left side of the room. Unlike the sparse, yet welcoming sitting area, the stone floor on left side of the room was left uncovered. The entire room was well lit by a faux window opposite the entry door that was charmed to show a current view of Hogwarts' grounds. Perpendicular to the window was his desk, cluttered with stacks of student assignments, quills, and vials of various colored inks.

Severus headed immediately to his desk, exhaling loudly in an attempt to calm his nerves. His anxiety over what the memories contained had mounted during his walk to his quarters. Although the dungeon room was cool, he felt unusually warm, beads of perspiration moistening his forehead and palms. He wiped his clammy palms on his cloak, pulled the memory potion and package of memories out of his pocket, and set both in the middle of his desk. He exhaled loudly; relieved the vials were safe on his desk and didn't slip from his sweaty grip.

He walked behind his desk and faced a portrait of Salazar Slytherin. Severus didn't bother with a password and simply waved his wand, causing the portrait to move aside to reveal his sleeping quarters. He shrugged off his outer robe and removed his heavy boots, switching into a pair of more casual loafers in an effort to cool down.

He was exhausted, but he knew he'd never get any rest with the knowledge of vials containing memories from Lily sitting nearby. He hurried out of his bedroom to the opposite wall, waving his hand in front of a painting of a potions laboratory filled with bubbling cauldrons. A doorknob flickered into view and Severus grasped it immediately, throwing open the once hidden door to enter his private potions lab. He knelt in front of a long counter with cabinets underneath and drew his wand, tapping it in an intricate pattern until a number of clicks were heard and the door popped open.

Severus reached into the cabinet head first and pulled out a small Pensieve that fit in the palm of one hand. He didn't think that when he bought the rune covered basin nearly a month ago that he would need it for any other reason than to keep his past recollections private from Potter. He could have continued to use the Headmaster's Pensieve during Occlumency lessons, but he couldn't risk Potter recognizing the basin. The boy didn't need much temptation to stick his nose in where it didn't belong, so Severus thought the small, unobtrusive Pensieve was worth the investment.

With a flick of his wrist, the cabinet closed and Severus grasped the worktable with one hand, leveraging himself up to stand. He walked back to his sitting area, warding and locking his lab as he exited. He placed the Pensieve on the coffee table and strode past the sofa to retrieve the box with the memories and potion. After opening the box, he carefully poured the contents of the enclosed spindle-shaped vial into the basin. Severus sat on his sofa and stared as the liquid swirled and sloshed in the vessel. He ran his hands through his hair and put his head in his hands in a last ditch effort to calm himself. It was no use, and with shaking hands he uncorked the memory potion that he brewed and swallowed it, grimacing at the taste. He knew that whatever he would see, he would also feel the emotions as well.

It would be like reliving the events all over again. He took a deep breath and slowly lowered his head to the Pensieve until his hooked nose touched the shimmering surface, sending him back into his past.

-333-

_Severus recognized the room immediately as the sitting room in his home at Spinner's End. However, the place was still tidy and the furniture was still in decent condition. It was all obviously second hand, with the exception of an antique green sofa that stood out like an elderly pureblood in a Muggle's home. Hearing a cough behind him, Severus drew his wand and turned, only to come face to face with a younger version of himself._

-333-

The younger Severus was sitting on a faded orange chair in the corner, annotating a potions text. It was dark and rainy outside, the wind causing brown fallen leaves to rise up and tap across the windows. The room was kept warm by a fire burning in the hearth and candles flickered on the walls, lighting the tiny space. Wax dripped from the candles onto the wood floor, but young Severus was so focused on his work that he didn't appear to notice.

Suddenly, someone pounded on the front door. Severus jumped, toppling over his inkwell in his haste to stand up and grab his wand.

"Severus, open the door, please!" a woman's voice called.

"Lily?" young Severus called, shocked by his obviously unexpected visitor.

"Yes! Open the door!" Lily shouted.

After sufficiently satisfied his visitor was not an imposter, Severus opened the door. Lily was standing there, soaking wet and shivering. She looked upset, her eyes red and puffy. "Can I come in?" she asked softly.

Severus didn't answer, but simply stood aside. He closed the door and gestured for Lily to sit, then left the room, returning seconds later with a heavy blanket. He saw that Lily had pulled the hood off of her head, causing her wet red hair to become plastered to her cheek. She didn't seem to care as she sat on the sofa with her head in her hands, dripping water onto the threadbare carpet.

With a bit of wandless magic, Lily was dry and Severus draped the blanket over her still shaking shoulders. He strode over to an aged armoire and pulled out a carafe and two glasses, setting both on the coffee table in front of Lily before cautiously sitting down next to Lily on the sofa.

"Wine?" Severus asked uncertainly as he decanted two goblets of liquor. He thought it would be inappropriate to offer her a calming draught, but perhaps a little alcohol would have the same effect. He was out of his element. He knew how to control an unstable potion, but didn't know how to help a distraught female.

"Thanks," Lily said, finally glancing up at Severus from between her fingers as she took a glass of wine off of the table. She sighed and took a sip.

"I didn't know who else to go to," Lily stated, tears rolling down her face. "Professor Dumbledore said he's working on it, but he hasn't had any new information for three days. I just don't know what to do," she sobbed.

"Has someone hurt you?" Severus asked, unsure of how to react. He hadn't spoken to her in ages and didn't want to mess things up again. He didn't know what she expected of him, especially if the great Dumbledore himself couldn't help her.

Lily shook her head, but continued to cry.

Severus didn't know what to do. Warily, he reached up an arm and began rubbing her back. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?" he asked a few minutes later when Lily calmed a bit.

'Maybe Lily finally saw past Potter's suave façade and wants to leave him. Or she's tired of Black's childish antics and needs something more subtle than a hex to teach him a lesson,' Severus pondered as he waited for Lily to answer.

Lily took a deep, shuddering breath and began, "Since all of the recent Death Eater activity, James has been working overtime for the Order."

Severus stiffened at the mention of Potter's name, but Lily was oblivious and too preoccupied to notice.

"We've only been official members since after graduation, but the Order's been stretched thin and they've started sending younger members out with more experienced members. Thursday night James firecalled me and said he'd be late for dinner. He was going out with Frank Longbottom to investigate some kidnappings in Ottery St. Catchpole, but promised me he'd be back by midnight," Lily paused, wiping a tear away as it slid down her cheek.

"I tried to stay up and wait for him, but I fell asleep. When I woke it was morning and James still wasn't back. I got worried and was about to firecall Dumbledore when Auror Moody and Sirius came to the door," Lily continued, staring at the hearth unseeingly as she relived the experience.

"I knew something was wrong! They said there had been an ambush. Frank and James were attacked. Auror Longbottom was Obliviated and left bleeding in a field, while James was gone. This note was found wrapped around his wand," Lily added, holding out her trembling fist.

She opened her hand, revealing a crumpled paper with the words: _Let this be a lesson to you all. You can try, but you will always fail._

"They tried to restore Frank's memory, but all he can remember about the men is that there were four of them wearing Death Eater masks. He saw them stun James and carry him away, _laughing_ about adding another prisoner to their collection." Lily had to stop again and looked to be struggling to maintain her composure.

"Albus has tried and so have other members of the Order. All the leads have turned into dead ends. We're all working from the outside, trying to get in. But you _are_ on the inside, aren't you?" Lily asked, her voice urging him to answer.

Severus suddenly felt warm and was afraid to answer truthfully. He drank a mouthful of wine as he struggled to come up with a way to stall the inevitable. He knew how she felt about the Dark Lord's philosophy and didn't want to chase her away when he finally had another chance to make things right with her.

"What makes you think that?" Severus finally asked.

Judging by the look on her face, his delay in responding was equivalent to an affirmative response. His lack of answer only seemed to frustrate her.

"Don't take me for a fool, Severus! I wouldn't be here if I didn't think you could help. From what I saw of your association with truly appalling people in our final years at Hogwarts, you _are_ on the inside. Although I'm disgusted by it, you've made your loyalties to Voldemort clear. But I've known you for far too long to know that you can't truly enjoy taking part in something so evil! I need you, Sev. You're my last hope. Help me get my husband back!" she cried.

Severus looked as though he was slapped across the face. He jerked his arm from where it had been rubbing Lily's back and stood, turning his back to her. He wasn't expecting this. Although part of him was secretly glad Potter was in trouble, he hated to hear the anger and disappointment in her voice when she spoke of his loyalties. But he didn't like being used, especially to risk his own life for Potter's.

"I know our friendship has been fractured since Hogwarts," Lily began, with hesitancy in her voice, "but if there is any part of you that still cares for me you'll find it in your heart to help me."

Severus turned around and found Lily's piercing green eyes staring up at his face. "Of course I care about you," he answered, pausing before adding quietly, "I always have and I always will."

Lily didn't respond, looking taken aback by Severus's words.

"I wish to Merlin I could go back in time and change the past. You have to know I never meant to hurt you." Severus paused, swallowing the lump in his throat before adding softly, "Losing you was the worst thing to ever happen to me. With you I could just be myself, but I cared too much about what other people thought of me and behaved unspeakably horrible towards you. I'm so sorry for how I acted, Lily."

The room was silent for several minutes as Severus sat intensely focused on the few droplets of wine remaining in his glass until Lily cleared her throat and stated sadly, "After all these years. I had no idea."

Severus grew uncomfortable. He hadn't meant to reveal so much to Lily, knowing that she had no feelings for him. So he did the only thing he could think of—diverting her attention off of him.

"More wine?" Severus asked as he decanted two more goblets of liquor. "I'm sorry it's not the best vintage," he added, apologizing for the cheap wine.

Unexpectedly, Lily reached out and stilled Severus's hand as he was about to pick up her glass. She tugged slightly on his fingers, grasping his hand in both of hers.

"Thanks for trying to take care of me. I've missed you, Sev," Lily replied as she gently squeezed his hand. Severus felt his pulse speed up. Lily blushed, giving Severus a small smile before releasing his hand and turning her attention to her glass.

Lily was the first to interrupt the few minutes of silent contemplation. "I remember the first time I tried elf made wine," she laughed.

Severus smiled, "I'm surprised you do. You could barely stand after one glass."

"You were the one that stole the wine from Professor Slughorn," Lily responded, a glimmer of mirth in her eyes for the first time that night.

"Only because you dared me to," Severus countered, taking a sip of his wine. "After years of indulging you in countless games of Truth or Dare, one would think I'd learn my lesson."

Lily's expression grew wistful. "Thinking about those times just reminds me how much I've missed the connection that we had. You can't imagine how much you hurt me when you called me a Mudblood. I know our friendship had been falling apart for a while before that, but that was my breaking point. It was like all those years of friendship meant nothing to you. I cared so much about you, Sev. Then you tossed me aside by calling me that name and chose friends like Mulciber and Avery over me."

She paused, but Severus was too stunned by her words to interrupt her.

"I used to cry myself to sleep. I was devastated. I know it's silly, but when I was little I imagined us being together forever," Lily responded with a small smile on her face.

"It's not silly. I thought the same thing," Severus admitted. "All my life I struggled to fit in. Then I met you."

He paused, hands shaking a bit out of nervousness as he took a sip of wine before continuing, "I thought once we got to Hogwarts I'd have friends. When my father wasn't around, my mother used to tell me stories about how great Slytherin was. Then when I thought my life would finally get better, I was sorted into Slytherin and you into Gryffindor. Potter's gang sought me out constantly, turning the other houses against me just because I was a Slytherin and different. I couldn't afford to isolate myself from my house, too. I didn't have it easy like you, Lily. You're smart and beautiful. Everyone loved you."

"Sev, stop," Lily commanded.

"No, Lily. You need to hear this. I'm not sure if I'll ever get another chance," Severus pressed, desperate to tell her how he felt.

"I wish you told me all of this sooner. Why didn't you come to me for help?" Lily asked, looking sadly at Severus.

"I didn't want your pity," Severus answered. "I thought I could handle it, but all I did was hurt you and lose my best friend."

Severus sighed, and then added, "I'm not trying to make excuses. The things I did and said to you are inexcusable. I wish I wasn't so selfish. I just want you to understand that I didn't do it to hurt you. I love you, Lils."

"Oh, Sev. I'll never be able to forget the past, but I think it's time we moved on. I forgive you," Lily announced, turning towards Severus on the sofa and grabbing his hand in hers.

Severus stared at their entwined hands, unable to look Lily in the eye. He wanted to hear this for years. "I don't deserve your forgiveness," Severus uttered.

"Yes, you do. You deserve that and more. You deserve better than life as a Death Eater, just like you deserved to have a better life when we were children," Lily stressed.

"Don't you get it? My childhood was better because you were a part of it," Severus whispered, looking up and into Lily's piercing green eyes.

"You know, when I hear you talk like this, it reminds me of the Severus that I met at the playground, back when I thought witches and wizards only existed in fairy tales. Without you, I would have thought of myself as an outcast. Kids were already starting to shy away from me at school because I would accidentally change the color of the teacher's chalk. I can't imagine what it would have been like to grow up not knowing who I really was and to have someone nearby that understood me," Lily reminisced.

Severus didn't know how to respond. He never thought about how his friendship with Lily when they were younger had affected her. She seemed to cherish him just as much as he cherished his relationship with her.

Lily's voice interrupted his thoughts, "And if I'm being as honest with you as you have been to me tonight, there's something I need to tell you, too."

Lily's cheeks reddened and she finished her wine and set the empty glass on the table next to Severus's. "I had the biggest crush on you. When Tuney and I would play dress up, I always imagined you as the person I was getting dolled up for. When I was in my sparkling ballgown, you were the boy I was going to the dance with. When we did each other's hair, you were the person I wanted to look good for.

Lily paused, taking a deep breath before adding, "And when I put on my white dress and played wedding, you were who I always pictured as my groom."

Severus looked shocked. "Me?" he choked out.

Lily's answer to his question was a nod. As she looked up at Severus, a tear fell from her eye and ran down her cheek.

"I've missed you," Lily whispered.

Severus reached out, cupping her cheek and wiping away the stray tear with his thumb, "I've missed you, too," he replied throatily. He had so many emotions coursing through him that he was surprised he was even capable of speech.

Lily's hand came up to rest on top of Severus's hand against her face. She reached her other hand up and tucked a bit of his hair behind his ear to better see his previously obscured face.

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity and then Severus leaned forward and gently kissed her lips.

After a second, Lily returned the kiss. Caught up in the moment, the two were soon breathing heavily. As Lily started to lean back against the cushions, Severus began removing her cloak, his lips never leaving hers. Lily's hands also seemed to be moving on their own accord, running across Severus's chest as she unbuttoned his shirt.

-333-

_Severus stood in shock as he watched his younger self embrace Lily. The two of them were rapidly becoming intimate on the sofa. Of all the possible scenarios that went through his head when he received the memory vial from Gringotts, this was not one of them. He heard the words that he longed to hear all of these years. Lily forgave him. He felt all of the emotions radiating off of his younger counterpart, amplifying his anguish. Severus was consumed by his thoughts as the scene shifted. He was still in the sitting room of Spinner's End, but this time there was daylight shining through the windows of the tiny room. _

-333-

Lily awoke slowly, her stretching arousing young Severus from his sleep. His arms were wrapped around Lily and she was snuggled up close against his bare chest on the sofa.

"Oh, Merlin!" Lily suddenly shrieked, causing Severus to jump.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worried and fully awakened by her yell.

Lily jumped up and began gathering her clothes. Severus was in a similar state of undress. A gray blanket fell to the floor as he stood to fasten his belt and struggled to understand what was making Lily so upset.

"I'm sorry I misled you. I don't know what came over me. I'm _married_! How could I do this to James?" Lily exclaimed, readjusting her robes.

Severus tensed. Even after the time they spent together last night, it was still all about _Potter_. He couldn't hold back a sneer that, unfortunately for Severus, Lily noticed.

She didn't speak, but the look of sadness that crossed her face broke Severus's heart. He had just gotten Lily back and couldn't risk losing her again.

"Don't worry, Lily. You…_we_ were both very upset last night. He'll understand," Snape added in an attempt to comfort her.

"You can't tell James! Promise me!" Lily begged.

This time, Severus nearly groaned aloud. Telling Potter would be the ultimate revenge for the seven years of torture that Potter and his bullying sidekicks put him through. How could he promise not to tell him?

Before he could answer, Lily gasped, "Oh, Sev! I don't even know where he is. He could be hurt or…or worse. Is there anything you can do to help find him?"

Seeing Lily so distraught, Severus knew there was only one answer he could give her. He promised himself that he would never do anything to hurt her again and would prove that to her, even if it meant biting his tongue.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. I promise I won't say anything. I don't know where the Dark Lord is keeping him, but I can find out. I can't make any guarantees, but I'll do my best to bring Potter home to you," Severus responded. He was willing to do anything to relieve Lily's pain, even if it meant reuniting her with her arrogant toerag of a husband.

"Thank you, Severus," Lily said with a sigh. She looked as though she was struggling to decide how proceed with what she had to say next.

Looking as though she made up her mind, Lily blurted, "It hurts to hear you call that evil wizard the _Dark Lord_ as though he's someone worth worshipping!"

Severus attempted to interrupt her, but she cut him off, "Don't even try to justify it! I just wish you'd quit! I saw the mark last night. You can't imagine how scared I am for you knowing that you bear _his _symbol."

Lily stepped forward, grabbed Severus's hand, and begged, "Come with me to Dumbledore. He can protect you!"

Severus scoffed and pulled away, "Yeah, just like he protected me from Potter and his friends. The Dark Lord's helping me through my apprenticeship. You know I can't afford it on my own. He values my service!"

"But he's just using you!" Lily exclaimed.

"And I am using him. I've got access to the most valuable potions ingredients. With him I have a chance to further my research. You wouldn't believe how much I've learned," Snape countered.

"Who cares how much you learn if he gains power through murder? Muggles, people just like my parents, are being murdered for _fun_! Caradoc Dearborn's been missing for months and more witches and wizards are dying in mysterious circumstances every day," Lily retorted.

Severus was at a loss for words. He knew about the murders and had even taken part in a number of village raids. He convinced himself that what he was doing was okay because people weren't dying at his wand. But it did disturb him that some of the potions he was making for the Dark Lord were being used for torture. How could he explain all of this to Lily?

Severus's dilemma must have shown on his face, because Lily quickly said, "I didn't come here to argue with you, Sev."

She laughed sarcastically, "I did a lot of things here that I wasn't expecting."

Severus sighed, running a hand through his bedraggled hair. "I'm not delusional, but I can honestly say that seeing you with James doesn't make me happy. I wish we could be together, but I know my foul behavior in the past ruined any hope that I had about us being with one another. I'll always love you, even if I can't change who you want to be with."

Lily turned to look Severus in the eye, "I don't want to hurt you. You'll always have a special part of my heart and I'll always wonder what could have been. But I love James, too. We promised ourselves to one another. I can't just let all of that go after a one night reunion."

Lily stepped towards Severus, reaching up to rest her hands on his cheeks. "I'm so happy you're still the wonderful person I knew you to be."

"Just promise me you'll think about what I said," Lily sighed.

"I will," Severus reluctantly answered.

Lily gave Severus a hug and added before moving to the door, "I love you, Sev, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

She opened the door and stepped out onto the doorstep. Turning back to Snape, she added, "Thank you. Be careful." With that, Lily disappeared with a crack of Apparition.

-333-

_Snape stared at the open door along with his younger self, astounded. This was all it would have taken. If he remembered this meeting with Lily, he knew he would have turned to Dumbledore sooner. He could feel the emotions of his younger self and knew he was having a serious change of heart._

_Instead, he foolishly followed the Dark Lord like a good little minion, spying on Trelawney's meeting with Dumbledore and getting Lily killed._

_He didn't understand. Why would Lily take this memory away? Was she afraid that he would tell Potter of his wife's infidelity? Before Severus could absorb what he just saw, the room shifted and he once again took his place against a wall. _

**

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**A/N:** Sorry for the cliffhanger, but don't worry…the next chapter is completed and will be posted within a week or two. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you think so far. It's always nice to have some feedback. If you have added this fic to your alerts, favorites, or have taken the time to review, thank you so much!

As always, updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page at fanfiction dot net.

_Coming up:_ Severus helps Lily and later learns some shocking information.


	14. Past Regrets

_Disclaimer: See chapter 1_

Extra special thanks to my two betas, _boushh_ and _xHarryIsMyHomeboyx_, who both are extremely helpful correcting my mistakes and giving me their honest feedback and suggestions. Thanks so much!

**Previously:**

_Snape stared at the open door along with his younger self, astounded. This was all it would have taken. If he remembered this meeting with Lily, he knew he would have turned to Dumbledore sooner. He could feel the emotions of his younger self and knew he was having a serious change of heart._

_Instead, he foolishly followed the Dark Lord like a good little minion, spying on Trelawney's meeting with Dumbledore and getting Lily killed._

_He didn't understand. Why would Lily take this memory away? Was she afraid that he would tell Potter of his wife's infidelity? Before Severus could absorb what he just saw, the room shifted and he once again took his place against a wall. _

-333-

**Chapter 14: Past Regrets**

Young Severus, clad in his black Death Eater robes, stood in an opulent hall with about twenty other similarly dressed men and women. Portraits of blonde ancestors lined the walls, all in ornate gold frames.

"Severus, good to see you," Lucius Malfoy drawled, shaking Snape's hand.

He gestured with his head towards a corner of the room and both men retreated to the semi-private area.

"I'm sure you've heard of our recent acquisition?" Lucius asked with a grin.

"Indeed," Snape responded, a gleam of pleasure in his eyes. "It'll be nice to see James Potter taken down a peg or two."

"That's the plan for the evening. The Dark Lord should be here within the hour and then we'll head down to the basement to have a little fun. Bellatrix is especially excited," Lucius commented, drawing Severus's attention to the dark haired woman attached to Rodolphus Lestrange's arm.

"I'm looking forward to it as well," Severus sneered. "I'll let you get back to your hosting duties. I should catch up with Avery. We haven't spoken in a while," Snape added.

"You do that, Severus, and try to sober him up a bit while you're at it," Lucius said with a shake of his head.

Severus didn't exactly have a step by step plan when he arrived, but he knew he had less than an hour to rescue Potter and place the blame for his escape on someone else. Now he had the perfect alibi.

"Hello, Avery," Severus greeted his former classmate.

"Severus!" Avery exclaimed enthusiastically. He clapped Snape on the back, spilling some firewhiskey down his robes in the process.

"I think you've had just enough of that swill," Severus commented as he banished the glass.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Avery swore. He reached into his robes for his wand but given his current inebriated state, Snape was much quicker and clasped his friend's forearm.

"Why drink that cheap filth when you can have century old elf-made whiskey?" Severus asked.

"And where are you planning on getting that expensive stuff?" Avery rebutted.

"The cellar, of course. You have to keep it a secret, though," Severus whispered into his ear, glancing around the room for good measure.

"Come on, I know where Lucius keeps it," Severus added, tugging on Avery's arm.

"Lead the way!" Avery exclaimed, seemingly thrilled at the prospect of imbibing quality liquor.

-333-

"Where is it, Severus? I swear we've passed this same spot twice already," Avery questioned as he and Severus walked down the torch lit passageway of the basement.

"It's right around the corner. Go on ahead," Snape answered, gesturing with his head for Avery to walk ahead of him in the narrow corridor.

"There's nothing here but--"

"_Stupefy!_" Snape commanded, a jolt of light shooting out of his wand and striking Avery in the back.

"_Incarcerous_," he added to be safe, and thick ropes were spun around Avery like a web.

'Now to find Potter,' Severus thought as he levitated Avery behind him.

It took him less than five minutes to find the entrance to the dungeons. He spotted Regulus Black guarding the door and quickly stowed Avery behind a nook in the wall before making his presence known.

"Regulus," Snape said, a bit louder than necessary, causing Regulus to jump and draw his wand.

"Shite, Severus! Don't scare me like that!" Regulus exclaimed, relieved.

Snape shrugged and gave Regulus a sly grin, "I couldn't help it. I heard about our recent acquisition and had to come see for myself."

Regulus smiled, "Come on in," he gestured as he performed a series of unlocking spells and opened the rusty metal gate.

"The Dark Lord's ordered us to keep him alive, but he didn't say anything about his mental state," Regulus added as they walked past dirty cells.

"Here to gloat, Snivellus?" James mocked, looking up at Snape with one eye, as his left was swollen shut. His face was several different shades of purple and his lip and nose were bleeding. Dried blood was smeared across a cut on his left temple and his right arm was bent towards his chest at an unnatural angle.

"After all these years, I can honestly say this is the one time I'm truly happy to see you," Snape sneered.

Regulus laughed, "Feel free to have some fun! Just make sure his heart's still beating when you're done."

As Regulus turned away from James, so did Snape.

"_Imperio!_" Severus growled.

Regulus halted.

Snape had to check to make sure the spell was working, so he quickly came up with a test.

"Break your left hand," Severus commanded.

Regulus spun around and without warning slammed his left hand into the bars of James's cell three times. He turned back to face Snape, his left hand bloody and several fingers mangled.

"Very good," Snape praised. He looked over at James who looked stunned, watching the two with his mouth open.

"When anyone asks you what happened tonight, you are to explain that you let your guard down and James Potter stole your wand out of your pocket. You fought, but he escaped. Now give James Potter your wand," Snape ordered.

Regulus reached into his pocket, pulled out his wand, and handed it handle first to James.

James quickly stunned Regulus and tied him up, performing the same two spells Severus used on Avery earlier. He murmured a few unlocking spells and the cell door sprung open on his fourth try. He stepped out, confusion written all across his face as he stared at Snape.

"Why would you save me?" James asked.

After a moment's hesitation, Severus replied, "I didn't do it for you."

"What do you want from me?" James asked curiously.

"You saved me from Lupin. Consider us even," Snape answered coolly.

James began to hand over Regulus's wand, but Snape stopped him, "You need to take it so Regulus's story seems believable. No one can know I had any part of this."

Severus dug into his robe pocket and drew out an empty potions vial. He handed it over to Potter, "Here. It's a portkey that will take you to St. Mungos. It's set to go off any second."

James opened his mouth to say something, but paused, looking as though he was struggling to respond. "Thank you…Severus," James finally spit out with great effort, right before the portkey whisked him away.

Severus sighed and glanced at his pocket watch. He had five minutes to get back to the hall before anyone noticed he was missing. Stepping over Regulus's body, he raced through the corridors until he came across Avery.

He levitated Avery out of the basement and through a back door into the rose garden before untying him.

"_Enervate,_" he incanted, waking up the other man. As Avery regained consciousness, Snape pointed his wand at him once more.

"_Obliviate!_ You will tell anyone that asks that I was with you all night. I took away your drink then we went for a walk in the rose garden so that you could sober up," Snape explained.

After looking confused for a few minutes, Avery responded, "Thanks for taking away my whiskey. I don't know what would have happened if the Dark Lord arrived and I was messed up."

"That's what friends are for," Snape responded casually. "Should we go back to the hall?" he asked, before following Avery back to the others.

-333-

The Dark Lord's response was worse than Severus had predicted.

"_Crucio!_"

Regulus's muscles twitched and spasmed, his screams echoing off of the dungeon walls. The Death Eaters stood in silence as the Dark Lord punished one of their top ranking members before their eyes.

With a flick of his wrist, Voldemort ended the spell. Severus watched as Regulus laid panting, sweat dripping from his brow. He concentrated on maintaining his Occlumency shields, knowing he'd be dead the minute the Dark Lord found out the truth. He just hoped his Imperius curse was strong enough to mislead him.

"_Legilimens!_" the Dark Lord growled, as Severus predicted he would.

The spell was held for what seemed like hours. Severus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and hoping that he wouldn't meet his end in Malfoy's moldy dungeon. He heard Regulus stagger against the wall as the spell ended and opened his eyes. To his relief, the Dark Lord wasn't looking at him.

"You are lucky I still have use for you," the Dark Lord hissed at Regulus.

"Yes, my lord," he choked, his voice hoarse from screaming.

"Bring me your elf by midnight tonight," Voldemort commanded.

"Of course, Master," Regulus answered as he bowed and shuffled to take his spot with the rest of the followers.

"As for the rest of you," the Dark Lord sneered, turning his head to look each person in the eye.

"You should have been doing your jobs!" he roared. "But don't worry," he continued in a hiss, smiling, "After today you'll all remember your place."

"_Crucio!_" he yelled, striking Avery.

Severus steadied himself for his turn. He knew it would be a long night.

-333-

The memory shifted and young Severus was sitting on the sofa, drinking a cup of tea as he read the _Daily Prophet_, skimming articles about the New Year celebrations that took place the night before. He was out last night, "celebrating" the New Year with the Dark Lord at a raid in Manchester. They set fire to a Muggle village, torturing any individuals that got in their way.

Severus didn't just stand by and watch. He had moved up the ranks, taking Regulus's old position in the organization. Regulus had disappeared a few weeks earlier, amid rumors of dissention between him and the Dark Lord. As such, Severus's stockpile of potions was quite helpful in the rapid destruction of homes. They were tossed like firecrackers through windows and chimneys, exploding in a fireball of flames and shrapnel. He cursed a number of Muggles as well, but his heart was no longer in it ever since that night with Lily a few months ago.

He had since begun to use the _Imperius_ curse, using it in place of other, more painful spells meant to torture its victims. Last night, he used the curse eight times. It was to spare them further pain, he justified. But he couldn't get their pleas for help out of his mind. Although he didn't perform the killing curse, he felt just as guilty as he stood back and watched them die.

Lily's words replayed in his head. These Muggles were just like her parents, the same people who took Severus in, feeding him and giving him a place to escape from his overbearing father.

His father was direct proof of the type of people the world would be better off without. But the people that he saw on raids, they were different. They protected their children, shielding them with their own bodies. They fought back. They didn't know about the wizarding world and were quite content to live their lives, unaware of the special gifts bestowed upon a lucky few.

Deep in thought, Severus jumped as a knock at the door startled him. After performing his typical detection and unlocking spells, he opened the door to greet the one person he'd been longing to see for nearly three long months.

"Lily. What are you doing here? Are you all right?" Severus clumsily asked as he stood aside for her to enter.

"I'm fine, Sev," Lily responded, smiling. "I've been meaning to thank you for everything you've done for me," she added as she crossed the threshold and entered the small sitting room.

"Thanks," she stated as she shrugged off her cloak and handed it to Severus.

He poured her some tea and the two sat awkwardly on the green sofa, an entire cushion between the two of them.

"You know you don't need to thank me," Severus spoke, ending the uncomfortable silence.

"Yes I do. James told me what happened. I know you don't like him," she started, interrupted by a scoff from Severus.

"That's an understatement," he commented, the tension in the room rising.

"Given the animosity between the two of you," Lily continued, "I really, truly appreciate everything you've done for me and my family."

Severus paled at her use of the word _family_. She should be _his_, and he should be making a family with her. Then he noticed the placement of her hands on her abdomen.

"Are…are you…" Severus began to ask, unable to get the words out.

-333-

"Yes, Sev," Lily smiled, her face lighting up with happiness for a moment, only to change to a look of nervous anticipation, "I'm pregnant. I'm due at the end of July."

Severus stood, turning his back on Lily. He heard her stand as well before he sucked in a breath. "Congratulations," he replied, his voice cracking. Inside, his world was falling in around him. Now that she was pregnant, there's no way that she'd leave Potter.

"That's actually the real reason I came here today. I was hoping to tell you sooner, but I just found out last week," Lily spoke nervously.

"When I found out I was pregnant, the mediwitch calculated the date of conception based on how far along I was. She said it was likely the first week of November," Lily paused, staring at Snape as though willing him to realize something.

"Why are you telling me this? You already said you were with child. I don't need to know the details of what happened after I rescued Potter…Oh, Merlin," Severus paled as he realized the ramifications of what Lily just said.

"What…what are you saying? Is the child mine?" Severus asked, trying to comprehend what she was saying.

"Yes," Lily simply answered.

-333-

_Severus clutched at his chest, unable to catch his breath as he fell to his knees. He never anticipated what he just heard. Harry Potter was his son. His son with Lily._

-333-

Lily was still talking. "I haven't told James that you're the father. I can't, at least not now. It would devastate him. I haven't even told him I'm pregnant yet."

Lily took a deep breath, as though steeling herself for what she had to say next, "I love my husband and would never leave him, but I thought you should be the first to know. It's up to you. You can be a part of your child's life, but on one condition. You have to go to Dumbledore for help and sever your ties with the Death Eaters."

Severus didn't know what to think. He was angry with Potter for stealing Lily and now his unborn child and simply confused as to what to do.

"I can't just walk away," Severus explained. "The Dark Lord will kill me then he'll kill you and our baby. I need to stay in his service and finish my Potions Mastery. It's the only way."

"It's not the only way!" Lily jumped up, furious. "Come with me to Dumbledore. I've asked him to meet me here in a few minutes. He can help you!"

"How could you do that?" Severus growled, furious. "You don't understand! I need to stay. My education, my _life_, and now yours rest on the fact that the Dark Lord trusts me! As long as he values my service, we're all safe," Severus tried to reason.

"Headmaster Dumbledore can protect you. Do you really enjoy helping to aid He Who Must Not Be Named in the destruction of hundreds and thousands of families?" Lily pleaded, grabbing on to his upper arms and shaking him, as though trying to knock some sense into him.

"No, I don't," he whispered, staring into her shining green eyes. "But it's the only way. I got myself in this situation and I have to do this to keep everyone safe. Now more than ever," Severus responded, his eyes shifting to her belly.

"I can't trust Dumbledore," Severus continued, pulling out of her grasp. "Not after how he favored Black and his friends."

"I realize you think you're protecting me and the baby. And I know you're used to taking care of yourself, but I wish you would just trust me on this one," Lily added, disappointment evident in her voice. "You know what I wish you would do. I won't fight you on this, Sev."

"But if you won't quit-" Lily was cut off by a loud tapping on the door. She wiped away a tear. "That's probably him," Lily commented as Severus unlocked the door.

Albus Dumbledore stood on the doorstep, clad in a gray pinstriped suit and purple tie. His long hair was secured at the base of his head by a ribbon that matched his tie.

"Mr. Snape, how nice it is to see you today," Dumbledore greeted with a nod of his head, looking genuinely pleased to see one of his former students again.

"Headmaster," Severus replied, standing aside to let the man enter his modest home.

Lily nodded to the headmaster, "Thank you for coming," she greeted, sighing as she took out a handkerchief to dab away the dampness under her eyes.

"Of course, my dear. How can I help?" Dumbledore asked, politely ignoring the emotional tension he walked into.

"Severus has chosen to continue to serve You-Know-Who," Lily answered bluntly.

Severus stood up straighter and crossed his arms across his chest, determined not to back down. He knew the man well enough to know that he could easily manipulate the situation.

Dumbledore turned his focus on Severus with a look of sadness in his eyes. "I know I have failed you in the past, but I truly wish you would reconsider and give me another chance. You are not the same young, naive man you were when you joined Voldemort's ranks. That person would not have saved James Potter, regardless of who was asking for your help."

Being reminded of Potter did not change his mind. If anything, it convinced him that he was doing the right thing. "I know who I am and what I need to do. I'm not going to change my mind. Potter's on your side and he still got himself captured and almost killed. The Dark Lord protects those who serve him. The protection you offer does not compare," Severus responded, his final remarks a bit more caustic than necessary.

He wanted the Headmaster's protection for seven years and was always left to help himself. It was now up to him to keep Lily and his child safe.

"Understood," Dumbledore responded, his demeanor suddenly cold.

Lily spoke up, deflecting the tension, "Sev, I can't let that monster find out the truth. That's why I had the Headmaster come. You need to be Obliviated."

Severus was shocked at the proposition. "What!" he exclaimed, his anger taking over. "No. My mind is my greatest asset. I'm not taking the risk of becoming a patient in St. Mungo's spell damage ward," he continued in a tone of finality.

"I don't like to boast, but assure you, Mr. Snape, that an _Obliviate_ spell cast at my hand is consistently accurate and will not cause you any harm," Dumbledore interjected, looking quite intimidating despite his eclectic Muggle attire.

Severus glared at Dumbledore, but didn't respond. He couldn't possibly refute the claims of one of the world's most powerful wizards. But he could try and convince Lily all of this was unnecessary.

"I've been studying different forms of magic. I can keep this information safe from the Dark Lord, buried so deeply in the recesses of my mind that he'd never find it," Severus countered.

"I know you're brilliant, but your pride is no reason to risk our lives!" Lily exclaimed, her hands instinctively shifting to rest on her still flat abdomen. The movement did not go unnoticed by Severus. She seemed to notice the shift in his gaze and paused, stepping closer to him.

"Are you willing to take that risk? Are you willing to take the chance that You-Know-Who finds out that you're more loyal to someone in the Order than to him?" She asked, pleading with him.

Severus didn't know what to do. He didn't want to be Obliviated, but he wasn't leaving the Dark Lord's ranks, either. He hated the idea that James Potter would be raising _his_ child. But what else could he do? He wished he was never put in this situation. If only Potter didn't get his moronic arse kidnapped, none of this would be happening. He wished his life wasn't so damn complicated.

Severus turned to Lily, ignoring the Headmaster's presence, "When this is all over, I want to be a part of our child's life."

"You will be. I promise," Lily responded firmly, squeezing his hand for emphasis.

They stared at each other for a moment. Severus squeezed Lily's hand once before letting go of her and clearing his throat. Even though he did not like it, he knew what he had to do—for Lily and their baby.

"Okay. I'll do it," Severus stated, nervously brushing at his robes.

Dumbledore reached into his robes and drew his wand as Lily began walking towards the front door.

At seeing her leave, Severus suddenly became nervous.

"Don't go!" he blurted, causing Lily to turn around, a look of questioning on her face.

"I'm sorry," he added hoarsely. He didn't know what else to say, but his worry must have been clearly visible across his face.

"So am I," Lily responded, walking back to him. "But I can't stay here and watch this happen," she added tearfully. "Thank you for agreeing. Goodbye, Sev," Lily responded, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

Dumbledore readied his wand as Lily had her hand on the doorknob.

"Goodbye, Lily," Severus whispered as he turned to face the Headmaster.

Lily gave Severus one last glance as she wiped the tears from her eyes and apparated away.

"_Obliviate!_"

-333-

Before Severus could process what he saw, the memory ended and he was deposited back in his sitting room at Hogwarts. Of all the possible scenarios that went through his head when he received the memory vial from Gringotts, this was not one of hands were shaking and tears threatened to spill from his eyes for the first time in nearly fifteen years.

He was feeling overwhelmed. Harry James _Potter_ was his biological son. That pompous, egotistical, fame-seeking brat was _his_ child with Lily.

_Lily_. She forgave his horrible behavior. All of this could have gone so differently. If only he listened to her and left the Dark Lord's service, she would still be alive. She'd still be in his life. Severus scrubbed his face with his hands, unable to get the image of Lily's pleading face out of his mind.

In one sharp move, he dipped his wand into the Pensieve and brought the memory thread to his temple. The memories hit him like a bludger. He remembered every second of his lost experiences, including his night with Lily, and collapsed on the sofa, unconscious.

**

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the extra quick update! This was such a tough chapter to write. There were lots of little details I struggled over, like whether or not Lily would call Voldemort by name and what spells Severus would cast on Muggles.

Anyway, please review and let me know how I did! It's always nice to have some feedback. If you have added this fic to your alerts, favorites, or have taken the time to review, thank you so much! The next update won't be as rapid, but as always, updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page at fanfiction dot net.

_Coming up: _We'll catch up with Harry and his friends, who when we last saw them were looking through some old photos of Lily only to discover that she and Snape had a childhood connection.


	15. History Lessons

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1_

Extra thanks to my two betas, _boushh_ and _xHarryIsMyHomeboyx_, who both are extremely helpful correcting my mistakes and giving me their honest feedback and suggestions. Thanks so much for sticking with me after the long delay!

**Previously:**

_About two pictures later, Harry found one that made his heart speed up. Lily and a scrawny, black haired boy were sitting on a swing, smiling. He stared at the boy, thinking there was something familiar about his face. His hair was long and shined in the sun, as though it hadn't been washed in several days. His clothes weren't as nice as Lily's and his formerly white trainers were yellowed with age. Despite his appearance, it was the boy's eyes that were striking. They were black, piercing, and oddly familiar, as was his large nose. _

'_Is this the boy Dumbledore was talking about? Could he be the wizard boy who became friends with his mum and aunt, only to lose their friendship years later?' Harry wondered._

_He was so shocked at finding the picture that he forgot to turn it over and read the writing on the back. Instead of handing the photo to Ron, who was waiting with his hand outstretched, Harry stood and brought the photo over to Remus._

"_Do you know who this boy is?" Harry asked, pointing to the dark haired child._

_Remus's expression grew sad and he sighed, rubbing his forehead, "I was wondering when you'd come across a picture of him. That's Professor Snape."_

-333-

**Chapter 15: History Lessons**

Harry's mind was a blur as he stared in shock at the image. He heard his friends talking and felt them crowd around him and Remus to get a look at the picture.

"It was him. It all makes sense," Harry muttered.

Now he understood why Petunia recognized Snape and looked at the man with more scorn than she did him. That, plus Dumbledore's story could only mean one thing: Snape was the boy who told his mother about magic. But why wouldn't the Headmaster tell him? Sure, he despised Snape, but the feeling was mutual. Unless…

"No," Harry whispered, dropping back onto the sofa as Remus took the photo from Harry's loose grip and flipped it over to read the back.

_Sweethearts_. That was the word the Dumbledore had used. He thought they would become _sweethearts_? Harry could feel his heart racing and was jolted from his thoughts by a hand touching one of his.

Harry started, realizing that he was still surrounded by his friends, all of whom were staring worriedly at him.

"You okay?" Ginny asked, quickly removing her hand.

"No," Harry sighed, but quickly added, "I mean, yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit of a shock seeing my mum with Snape," Harry replied honestly. "I knew they knew each other, but holding the evidence in my hands is different."

"It makes sense that they knew each other in Hogwarts, but they look really young in that photo," Hermione remarked, gesturing to the picture that Remus was holding.

"It was a Muggle photo too," Fred added, his brothers murmuring in agreement.

"Fred makes a good point, Harry. Muggle cameras don't work in Hogwarts. I read it in _Hogwarts: a History_; it's part of the same group of spells warding the castle from Muggles. Imagine if people took pictures of what they thought was a smoldering ruin only to have the film developed and see a grand castle. So that picture must have been taken away from Hogwarts," Hermione explained.

Harry didn't know how to answer them. From Dumbledore's talk with him, he surmised that his mum and Snape were friends before Hogwarts. 'And possibly more,' he added to himself, disgusted by the thought. As much as he hated Snape, he couldn't tell his friends, at least not yet. There was some reason that Snape didn't want Dumbledore to tell anyone and he wouldn't be the one to say anything until he found out why.

Luckily for Harry, he didn't have to explain. Remus looked as though he was about to say something, but instead began coughing.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked as the boys looked on worriedly, watching Remus as he leaned over in his chair and pulled out a handkerchief from his sweater pocket.

George conjured a tea set and Hermione got up and began to pour Remus a cup. As the attention was shifted towards the tea, Harry kept his eyes on Remus, who covered the picture he was holding with the handkerchief and slipped both into his pocket.

With his hands now free, Remus reached out and took the cup Hermione was offering him. "Thanks," he added with a gracious nod.

They all sat in silence, sipping their own cups and glancing at Remus occasionally to make sure the man was okay.

"Thank you," Remus spoke after a few minutes, nodding to George and Hermione. "I think it was a hairball," he added, making everyone laugh.

He continued, "I don't know about you, but it seems to me first years keep looking younger and younger. I can't believe we all looked that young when we enrolled at Hogwarts," Remus chuckled. "And I do remember quite a few people using Muggle cameras around King's Cross. In fact, there was a playground nearby when I grew up. Don't forget about all the Muggle areas outside of Diagon Alley," he added as possible explanations for the photo.

"That makes sense. Maybe she had just met Snape and was excited to see other magical people," Ron commented, but Harry thought Hermione still looked skeptical. If she was, she didn't voice her concerns.

"Well," Remus spoke up, "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we're expected back at the castle." Focusing on Harry, he continued, "Professor Dumbledore is holding a faculty meeting in fifteen minutes and he wanted me to bring you back before then."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you guys later," Harry remarked, gathering his photo box.

Remus and George shrunk his other gifts, which Harry proceeded to tuck into his pockets.

"Thanks," he smiled as he clasped George's hand.

Fred patted him on the back and Ron followed, doing the same.

"Bye, mate," Ron added with a grin.

Hermione gave Harry a hug, whispering in his ear instructions to "behave and don't let Professor Snape's comments get to you."

Ginny appeared in front of Harry next. Instinctively, Harry stepped forwards and hugged her goodbye. The embrace lasted longer than with Hermione as her arms came up to hug him back. When they let go, Ginny's face was red with embarrassment, but she managed to slip out a quick, "Bye, Harry," before he watched her disappear into the kitchen in search of Mrs. Weasley.

With one last hug from Mrs. Weasley, Remus and Harry flooed back to Hogwarts.

-333-

"Why don't you come with me? I'm sure you have some questions," Remus asked Harry as they stepped out into the Headmaster's empty office.

"Don't you have a meeting?" Harry asked, confused.

"I hated lying, but it's not for another few hours. I wanted to save you from having to explain that photograph to your friends," Remus smiled.

"Sure. Thanks for helping me. I wasn't sure what to tell them when I don't even know what to tell myself," Harry sighed.

-333-

"Here, you can have this back now," Remus said as he handed Harry the picture of Snape and his mum from his pocket. "Have a seat," Remus added as he sat, gesturing to an armchair in his quarters.

The room was still full of unpacked items, but a welcoming sitting area had been set up near the fireplace.

Harry took back the photo, still amazed at physical proof of his mum's friendship with Snape. He flipped it over to see the inscription, _Lily and Severus, age 10, park near Spinner's End_. He was glad his friends didn't see that.

"Sorry about that coughing spell. I didn't want your friends to notice the writing on the back of that photo. How much do you know?" Remus asked, interrupting Harry from his thoughts.

Harry put the picture back in the box and sighed, "Not much, really. Dumbledore told me a story about a boy who was friends with my mum before Hogwarts, so I guess Snape was that kid."

Remus leaned back in his chair and confirmed Harry's suspicions. "Yes, they were friends, at least in the beginning. You remember what you saw in Severus's pensieve?"

"How could I forget seeing all of you act like total arses?" Harry responded angrily.

"I won't even try to explain our actions. We were cruel to him. I think the bullying that Severus endured pushed him further away from Lily. I know what it's like to struggle to be like everyone else. If he was friends with a Muggle-born Gryffindor, he'd be antagonized by his housemates. If he was loyal to Slytherin, he'd be distancing himself from Lily. Either way, his time at Hogwarts was not easy," Remus reasoned.

Harry was quiet, pondering what Remus explained. It was easy to put that information together with what he saw from Snape's pensieve. Thanks to his dad and Sirius's bullying, Snape got embarrassed and lost her friendship in a fit of misplaced anger.

"Why didn't anyone tell me they were friends?" Harry asked, annoyed that he had to figure it out for himself.

"With everything else going on these past few years, it didn't seem important. It doesn't change anything," Remus explained.

"Yeah, you're right," Harry sighed. Well, thanks for covering for me earlier and coming to get me, but I should get going," Harry said as he stood from his chair and headed to the door.

"I enjoyed seeing you. Happy Birthday," Remus nodded as he stood as well, patting Harry on the shoulder before beginning to empty one of the many boxes still lining the walls.

"Oh, wait. I think you'll want this back," Remus smiled as he held out a yellowed piece of parchment.

"I nearly forgot you had the map! Thanks. I can't go through a school year without this," Harry said as he took his leave, heading up to Gryffindor Tower to drop off his birthday gifts and collect his thoughts before going to see Dumbledore.

-333-

Harry dropped off his presents and the map in his room before heading to Dumbledore's office. He muttered the password to the gargoyle and rode the familiar rotating staircase up to the large oak door that was Harry's last barrier to seeing the Headmaster. He stood outside the door, unsure of how to approach the situation. Dumbledore had kept something else from him. Taking a deep breath, he raised his fist to knock, but the door opened for him instead.

"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore greeted from the doorway. "Happy Birthday! I thought you would be spending the whole day with your friends?"

"Why didn't you tell me my mum and Snape were friends?" Harry growled.

"How did you find out?" Dumbledore asked, moving to sit behind his desk.

"The pictures. There was one of my mum and Snape before Hogwarts," Harry explained.

Dumbledore sighed, "It wasn't my story to tell. I promised him I would never tell anyone, Harry. As much as I thought you deserved to know, that was information you shouldn't have gotten from me."

"Who else was going to tell me? Snape?" Harry scoffed.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I gave him my word and I could not break his trust," Dumbledore reasoned.

"Fine, I get that. But you have to tell me," Harry paused, unable to verbalize what was really bothering him the most.

"Tell me they weren't a couple," Harry asked pleadingly.

Dumbledore looked up at Harry, "I won't betray Severus's trust, but I can tell you that I was never privy to the details of their time together."

Harry groaned, throwing himself into one of the chairs across from Dumbledore's desk and rubbing his eyes with his palms.

"I'm so tired of having to solve all of these puzzles on my own! You say I should rely on the adults around me. But how can I do that when no one gives me any information?" Harry complained.

"I am sorry, Harry. I have failed you in many ways, but I hope to earn back your trust. I'm not sure that my hesitancy to inform you of specific details kept you safer, but in my effort to give you a normal childhood I caused you more grief. As much as I'd like, I can't change the past, but I can attempt to do better by you in the future. I was going to talk to you tomorrow about some recent developments, but I suppose we can talk now," Dumbledore explained, shifting the topic.

"I already told you that Voldemort created seven Horcruxes, but given the circumstances at the beginning of the summer, we were unable to explore the topic further. I've recently uncovered more information that we need to discuss," he paused, taking a deep breath.

"Tom could have chosen any seven items as Horcruxes. With two exceptions, he chose items inherently powerful in magical lore. This is one of them," Dumbledore remarked, reaching into his desk drawer. "I trust you remember this?" he smiled, sliding a torn, water damaged diary in front of Harry.

"The diary Lucius Malfoy gave Ginny? That was a Horcrux?" Harry asked, astounded. He slowly grabbed the diary and stared at the giant hole he created four years ago by stabbing the journal with a basilisk fang. "That explains how he could manifest himself and make Ginny do those horrible things," Harry commented. "It really was Voldemort."

"Yes," Dumbledore responded, grabbing the diary and holding it up, "But as you can see, we both can touch it with no ill effects. While there were seven Horcruxes, your attack on the diary destroyed this one."

"That's great that we have one less Horcrux, but what do we do about the rest? I destroyed the last one with the basilisk fang. Besides the two in the Chamber, where are we going to find more fangs?" Harry asked pessimistically.

"Harry, my boy, you're getting ahead of yourself," Dumbledore chuckled. "I've been researching each Horcrux since Tom's return and I believe I've identified all of them."

"You know where they are?" Harry asked hopefully.

"In some cases, yes, I have my suspicions as to where they are located. However, I believe it would help to start from the beginning. Most of what I'm about to tell you I've learned from memories of others, but some is supposition, especially when it comes to Voldemort's motives. However, I've known Tom since he was a boy and feel confident in what I'm about to tell you," Dumbledore prefaced, leaning back in his chair to continue.

"Tom Riddle is not the pureblood wizard that he would like everyone to believe, but was born the descendant of an ancient pureblood family and a wealthy Muggle. His mother was a member of the ancient Gaunt family, descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Unlike many pureblood families of today, the Gaunts squandered their wealth. Years of idealistic pureblood supremacy resulted in isolation and inbreeding, leaving his mother and her family with uniquely coarse facial features and mental instability. They lived in a small, dilapidated cottage in the town of Little Hangleton. Unlike her brother and father, Merope had less of a hatred for Muggles. She was treated more like a house elf by her family and yearned for a way to escape. Over time, she became infatuated by the son of a nearby wealthy Muggle family. He, however, was not interested in the homely, disfigured girl. She was undeterred and brewed a powerful love potion. Merope was able to slip him the potion and enjoyed a brief courtship with Tom Riddle Sr. Soon, she found herself pregnant and once her father found out, he disowned her. She believed that a child would eliminate the need for an artificial romance and stopped supplying Tom Sr. with the potion. She told him the truth, but he was disgusted and wanted nothing to do with Merope or his future son. When her father found out, he banished her from the family home." Dumbledore paused to sip some tea.

"Where did she go?" Harry asked, intrigued by Voldemort's past.

"She did have one item of value when she left," Dumbledore answered, grabbing his wand.

Harry watched as the Headmaster waved his wand in an intricate pattern. A misty vapor spiraled above the desk. The tiny particles swirled and Harry began to see it take shape. Slowly, the image of a large chain and pendant appeared. The gold on the chain sparkled, but its beauty was nothing compared to the locket that swung gently from the chain. On its surface was an ornately etched letter S emphasized by dozens of tiny deep green emeralds. Mesmerized, Harry reached out to touch it, his fingers encountering nothing but a fine, warm vapor.

Dumbledore set his wand down and continued, "This, Harry, is Salazar Slytherin's locket and one of Tom's Horcruxes."

Startled, Harry jerked back his hand and watched as the locket dissolved into nothingness.

"Merope Gaunt had in her possession Slytherin's locket when she was denounced by Tom Riddle Sr. and her family. She pawned the locket to Caractacus Burke of Borgin and Burkes, hoping to have enough money to support her and her child. However, perhaps due to her genetic defects, the physical abuse she suffered, or in part due to her horrible luck, Merope had a complicated labor. She found shelter and aid at a Muggle orphanage where she died. She only lived long enough to name her newborn son Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Did Voldemort's father or his mother's family ever come for him?" Harry asked, wondering what parental influence could have instilled such evil into the boy for him to turn into Voldemort.

"I'm afraid not. Tom lived for eleven years in that orphanage, performing feats of accidental magic but not knowing of the existence of the magical world. Tom Riddle's first official introduction to the Wizarding world was when he was notified of his acceptance to Hogwarts. At that time, Hogwarts letters were hand delivered and as luck would have it I was chosen to extend the invitation to him. He was a very intelligent young man, gifted in the ability to already control some aspects of his magic. However, he isolated himself at an early age, manipulating his magic to seek revenge on the children that played pranks on him and treated him like an outcast. Once at Hogwarts, Tom was extremely popular, commanding a small group of close friends. I believe that the only place Tom Riddle considered home was Hogwarts. Therefore, in addition to Slytherin's locket, which held additional significance to Tom, I've theorized that he chose vessels that held significance in Hogwart's history," Dumbledore concluded.

He stood, searching a nearby bookshelf while Harry absorbed what he just heard. His childhood was not much different than Voldemort's, but they both chose different paths to lead. Was it knowing that his parents loved him but couldn't be with him that made the difference? Sure, the Dursleys never suppressed their hatred of him, but he always had hope that his parents loved him. Voldemort, however, grew up in an orphanage watching as other children were adopted instead of him, essentially unwanted by anyone. Was what made them so alike what also made them so morally different?

"Ah ha," Dumbledore remarked in triumph as he found the book he was searching for. He set the thick tomb on his desk as he retook his seat.

"_Hogwarts: A History_?" Harry asked as he read the book's title.

"Yes. The source of information about the identity of the Horcruxes has been on the shelves of every reputable magical bookstore in all of Europe."

Dumbledore paused, flipping through the pages as Harry leaned closer to get a better view.

"Here," Dumbledore pointed, spinning the book around so Harry could read.

"Prior to the use of magical wards, Hogwart's Four Founders believed that anchoring Hogwarts with a personal relic would enhance the Muggle repelling charms placed on the school grounds. Therefore, Salazar Slytherin hid a gold locket in the dungeons, Rowena Ravenclaw placed a diadem along with Godric Gryffindor's sword in two locations in the towers, and Helga Hufflepuff left behind a goblet near the kitchens. With the invention of stronger Muggle-repelling wards, the treasures are no longer needed for protection but instead serve as a legacy of four very different educators who were dedicated to the tutelage of magical children throughout Europe," Harry read aloud, looking up at Dumbledore after finishing the passage.

"The sword!" Harry shouted, jumping from his seat as he walked towards it. "So it's a Horcrux?" Harry asked, peering at the gilded weapon suspiciously, as if he was waiting for Voldemort's soul to materialize.

Dumbledore turned in his chair to look at the sword, "I'm afraid not." At Harry's bewildered look, he added, "But I believe the other three items are. This sword has been kept in the Headmaster's office for centuries. In fact, when I was a student I remember counting the rubies on the handle as Headmaster Black reprimanded me. No, it would have been too difficult for Tom to remove," he said as he swept his arms and gestured to the numerous portraits on the wall. "Too many witnesses," he chuckled.

"Wait a minute. That locket you showed me; the one that Merope Gaunt sold. Is it still at Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Right you are, my boy," Dumbledore smiled as Harry retook his seat. "Borgin and Burkes is no longer in possession of the locket. With some gentle persuasion, I was able to determine that the piece was sold to Walburga Black."

"Sirius's mum? But she's been dead for years. Who would have it now?" Harry wondered.

"I think she would have left it in Grimmauld Place. There are many dark objects scattered throughout the manor. Mrs. Weasley and your friends did some cleaning, but I believe it is still there. A Horcrux is a malignant object that will not transfer hands without spreading devastation in its wake. Due to their association with the Dark Arts, I think Tom found out she had the locket and, shall we say, borrowed it," Dumbledore answered grimly.

"Then I guess we have to go back to Grimmauld Place," Harry sighed, not looking forward to going back to the place where Sirius felt trapped for the last year of his life.

"Yes, I would like to travel there before the next school year begins. However, there is the matter of who owns the property. We are currently looking for Sirius's will, but until it is found we cannot simply walk in. You see," Dumbledore began, leaning forward and entering lecture mode, "If there is no will, Wizarding law states that the next closest blood relative inherits all monies and properties of the decedent. In Sirius's case, that would be his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange."

"No! She can't get Sirius's things!" Harry exclaimed angrily.

"I'm hoping that we can find a will because I am certain he would leave his possessions to you and Remus," Dumbledore responded calmly.

"I hope he leaves everything to Remus because he could really use the money," Harry countered.

"I am truly sorry you didn't have more years with Sirius and I hope we can make his final wishes known, whatever they may be. Nymphadora Tonks, Kinsley Shacklebolt, and Arthur Weasley are searching the Ministry archives daily to locate a copy."

"In the meantime," Dumbledore continued, "we still have other Horcruxes that we must seek out. In addition to Salazar Slytherin's locket, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem and Helga Hufflepuff's goblet are still hidden in the castle. I've enlisted the help of the house elves to locate the goblet, as I believe it's located near the kitchens. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick are researching hidden rooms and nooks scattered across Hogwarts."

"You told them about the Horcruxes? Does everyone in the Order know?" Harry asked, wondering why he was always the last to know everything.

"No. As of now, I've only discussed the Horcruxes with you and Professors Snape and Lupin. They both have been instrumental in identifying and tracking down Horcruxes not on Hogwart's grounds," Dumbledore explained.

Harry looked down at his hands, counting the Horcruxes he already knew about and ticking them off his mental list using his fingers. 'The diary, locket, crown, and cup,' Harry thought, staring down at the three fingers still sticking up.

"So did they find the other three?" Harry asked, feeling a bit embarrassed as he looked back up to see Dumbledore smiling at him, seemingly amused by his behavior.

"Professor Snape believes that two of the remaining Horcruxes are in Voldemort's possession, while Remus and I have a strong suspicion about the location of the third. I take it you remember the snake attack on Arthur Weasley?" Dumbledore asked, his tone becoming serious once more.

"How could I forget?" Harry answered, still shaken by the memories of attacking Mr. Weasley from the snake's perspective replaying in his head.

"Your connection to Voldemort was responsible for that. Since he was controlling the snake at the time, you were able to see through the snake's eyes. However, what was most concerning to me is that it is not possible for a wizard possessing a creature to control it in the manner in which Tom was able to. Severus was most helpful in this regard, as he was able to relay information about Voldemort's interactions with his pet snake, which goes by the name Nagini. Based on your experiences and Professor Snape's accounts, we believe that the only possible explanation is that the snake is a Horcrux," Dumbledore explained.

"That makes sense," Harry muttered, thinking back to all the times he saw Nagini with Voldemort. "The snake was always following his orders," Harry added. "But what about the other one you said Voldemort always keeps with him?"

"That Horcrux goes back to the story of Tom's childhood. Shortly after the end of his fifth year, Tom turned seventeen and was therefore a legal adult in the Wizarding world. He left the orphanage and his whereabouts were unknown until he returned to Hogwarts for the following session. During the same summer, Voldemort's father and the rest of his Muggle family were found murdered. Merope's brother, Morfin, confessed to their murders and both died in Azkaban. I don't think that the murders were an odd coincidence. I believe Tom found out the identity of his mother before leaving the orphanage and went to the Gaunts' home. There he learned his father was a Muggle, then killed him and his family. From that summer on he always wore a gold ring, the very ring that was a Gaunt family heirloom. I presume that the ring was his first Horcrux and he wore it as a symbol of the beginning of his journey to gain power over death."

"I never really paid attention to what he was wearing when I saw him. Does he still wear this ring now?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Severus confirmed that he always wears the ring; therefore this will probably be the last Horcrux that we must deal with," Dumbledore clarified.

"Ok, so his ring and Nagini are Horcruxes. What's the last Horcrux? It's not Bellatrix Lestrange, is it? Because she's sadistic enough to contain a piece of his rotten soul," Harry asked, disgusted by the thought.

Dumbledore shook his head gravely, "No, I do not believe that Voldemort has infiltrated another living being with a Horcrux. However, I'm afraid I must confess that I did briefly consider that _you_ may possess a piece of Voldemort's soul."

At Harry's horrified look, Dumbledore quickly added, "I am certain that you are not. Voldemort's attempt to possess you at the Ministry is all the proof I need. Had you contained a Horcrux, any amount of emotion on your behalf would not have prevented him from controlling you."

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm a Parselmouth and connected to Voldemort through my scar. And there were those times last year where I got really angry when I looked into your eyes. I didn't feel like myself. Are you absolutely sure that I don't have a piece of him inside of me?" Harry pleaded.

"I assure you, Harry, it was all those reasons you listed that made me concerned about that very possibility. However, you are able to overpower him. Although you are influenced by his emotions through your scar, your emotions hurt him as well. If you had a Horcrux inside of you, he wouldn't be harmed by your presence in his mind, but strengthened by it. That Horcrux would seek out its owner. It would cause you to want to join forces with Voldemort and carry out similar heinous crimes. It would also have resulted in your placement into Slytherin."

"What do the houses have to do with anything?" Harry asked.

"I am well aware of the conversation you had with the Sorting Hat at the start of your first year. No amount of persuasion would have kept you from being sorted into Slytherin House if you possessed a portion of Tom's soul. It would be something that the Sorting Hat would easily sense, as it recalls everyone that it has sorted. Upon detecting Tom Riddle, you would have been immediately sorted into Slytherin, as that is where Tom was sorted. Plus, only a true Gryffindor could have pulled Gryffindor's sword out of the Hat," Dumbledore added with a smile.

Dumbledore paused, leaning forward to look Harry directly in the eyes, "I know you, Harry. You are a good, generous person. Your capacity for love is something that Tom has never known. It's what sets you two apart and I am certain that you are not a Horcrux."

"Good," Harry exhaled, relieved. "Then what's the final Horcrux?"

"I need to explain a bit first. When Voldemort arrived at your home to kill you and your parents, I believe he intended on using the murders to create his final Horcrux. With the exception of Nagini and the diary, all of the Horcruxes are artifacts that have a particularly notable legacy in Wizarding culture. The Potter family is as ancient and noble as any of the other pureblood families. The thought of ending a family name would have been particularly intriguing, as would using a Potter family artifact as a Horcrux," Dumbledore explained, lifting up his spectacles with his fingers as he rubbed at his eyes.

Harry watched Dumbledore, noticing how the man's parchment thin skin wrinkled as it rolled under his thin, aged hands. He was anxious for the man to continue his explanation and identify the final Horcrux, but as Dumbledore removed his hands and looked up, Harry could see sadness overtake the Headmaster.

"What is it?" Harry asked, worried about his sudden change in demeanor.

"Remus went to Gringott's to search the Potter vault for the Horcrux. He didn't uncover anything there on three separate trips. A cursory exploration of your former home in Godric's Hollow was unsuccessful as well. We'll have to look there again, of course, and I think your presence may aid in detecting objects hidden to those not of the Potter lineage." Sighing, Dumbledore continued, "I'm sorry, Harry. What I'm about to tell you isn't easy for me. I don't want to cause you any more pain, but there's no easy way for me to avoid it in this situation. There is the possibility that the family heirloom is a ring, a garment, or other piece of jewelry that was buried with your parents."

"So what does that mean? You'd have to summon it from the ground?" Harry wondered. He didn't like the idea, but he was willing to do it if it meant getting rid of Voldemort.

"No, Harry. You can't summon items from a witch or wizard's last place of rest. Ancient wards are put in place in any Wizarding cemetery to prevent willful desecration and vandalism. Thievery was commonplace over one thousand years ago when no such spells were used. I believe you've heard of the term, grave robbers?" Dumbledore asked, pausing and continuing after Harry's confirmatory nod. "Therefore, if the Horcrux was buried with Lily and James, the only way to retrieve it is to exhume their bodies."

"What! You'd have to…to _dig_ up my parents' bodies? No!" Harry shouted. "Voldemort took their lives! I won't let him disturb them in death," Harry growled, horrific images flying through his head of his parents' bodies after fifteen years in the ground.

"I'm sorry, my boy," Dumbledore spoke as he stood from behind his desk and approached Harry, who was now standing as well. "You must remember that is the last option that we have. I'm hopeful we will find it in the house and it never comes to that," he added as he stepped forward and grasped Harry by the shoulders.

"I have to go," Harry replied, shrugging off the Headmaster's hands and fleeing towards the door. Before exiting, he looked back at Dumbledore too see the man leaning against the edge of his desk, his head hanging and eyes closed. Feeling guilty for taking out his anger on Dumbledore, he paused to add, "Thanks for telling me, Headmaster. I just need some time to think."

Dumbledore looked up and smiled, his eyes twinkling, "You're welcome, Harry."

**

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**A/N:** First, sorry for the long delay between updates recently! Between med school rotations, exams, and preparing to apply to residency programs, my time has been pretty limited. Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me. I'll do my best to update sooner in the future and I promise that it will be completed.

Please review and let me know what you think! It's always nice to have some feedback. Do you like the new Horcruxes?

If you have added this fic to your alerts, favorites, or have taken the time to review, thank you so much! As always, updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page at fanfiction dot net.

_Coming up: _Now that Snape's aware that Harry is his biological son, how will he react to teaching him? Another Defense lesson takes place and a discovery is made during Occlumency lessons.


	16. An Accident and A Nosy Wolf

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1_

Extra thanks to _xHarryIsMyHomeboyx_, who took time out of her busy schedule to beta this for me!

**Previously:**

Chapter 14:

_Snape was feeling overwhelmed. Harry James Potter was his biological son. That pompous, egotistical, fame-seeking brat was his child with Lily. _

_Lily. She forgave his horrible behavior. All of this could have gone so differently. If only he listened to her and left the Dark Lord's service, she would still be alive. She'd still be in his life. Severus scrubbed his face with his hands, unable to get the image of Lily's pleading face out of his mind. _

Chapter 15:

"_What! You'd have to…to dig up my parents' bodies? No!" Harry shouted. "Voldemort took their lives! I won't let him disturb them in death," Harry growled, horrific images flying through his head of his parents' bodies after fifteen years in the ground. _

"_I'm sorry, my boy," Dumbledore spoke as he stood from behind his desk and approached Harry, who was now standing as well. "You must remember that is the last option that we have. I'm hopeful we will find the Horcrux in the house and it never comes to that," he added as he stepped forward and grasped Harry by the shoulders. _

-333-

**Chapter 16: An Accident and a Nosy Wolf**

Snape groaned as he awoke with a pounding headache. He glanced at the clock on the mantle, which read quarter after one. Rubbing a hand over his face, he stood and grabbed a headache potion from his stores, downing it in one quick swallow.

His mind was a whorl of thoughts as he showered and dressed. His grooming rituals were only a minor distraction from the feelings that he was trying to avoid:

Lily_ forgave_ me.

Harry Potter is my biological son.

After all these years, he tortured himself, thinking that he never reunited with Lily after their falling out in school. Now he knew the truth. He and Lily became closer than he thought was possible given the way their friendship ended.

Oh, _Lily_. I'm sorry.

Harry Potter is my flesh and blood.

Snape growled as he stared at the remaining dregs in his teacup and flung the mug against the entry door. The resounding crash and scraping of tiny shards of ceramic across the stone floor were only mildly satisfying. All these years he regretted not fixing things between him and Lily. Now that he knew that she forgave him for his misgivings, he was left with a new burden.

Harry _bloody_ Potter is my son.

He couldn't begin to voice those words aloud. He didn't deserve to. How was he supposed to explain to the boy that it was because of his actions that the Dark Lord targeted his mother? How could he tell him after all these years that he was his son? He could see the conversation play out in his mind.

'Hello, Potter, there's something I need to tell you. I'm your biological father. I loved your mother. She was the most amazing woman I've ever met. Oh, and by the way, you know how I was a Death Eater? Well, I spied on a meeting between Trelawney and Dumbledore and relayed a part of the prophecy to the Dark Lord, resulting in your mother's death.'

Speaking of Dumbledore, 'How could he!' Snape's voice roared in his head as he stood, entering his potions lab and lighting two pewter cauldrons with a little bit more power than necessary. He hated liars, especially when the liar was someone he trusted. Dumbledore was the man who he considered his savior all those years ago, who welcomed him back from the edges of hell. Now he just felt betrayed.

His fingers clenched in anger as he ran his hands through his hair, tugging at handfuls of it. Everything could have been different. If only he hadn't been a stubborn arse, thinking that he was protecting Lily and their child by not being with them. Sure Lily was married to Potter, but he knew that if he had denounced the Dark Lord then Lily would have been his. He could have had it all: revenge against Potter and his friends after years of ridicule in school, a loving wife, and a son. If only he had listened to Lily and sided with Dumbledore.

He knew the ingredients he needed by heart, grabbing jars and vials and slamming them down on the worktable. He wasn't going to let Dumbledore find out that he was aware of the boy's true paternity. The last thing he needed was the meddling old coot interloping into his personal life. He kept the truth from him for this long, even after he begged for forgiveness and joined the Order. True, Dumbledore owed him nothing, but this crossed the line. He spent years not knowing the truth. Since Harry started school at Hogwarts, he was haunted by Lily's piercing green eyes on _James Potter's_ bloody face. 'No, this was unforgiveable,' Snape repeated in his head as he used his pestle to pound black horned beetles into dust. He would not be made a fool of anymore.

-333-

Harry skived off supper in the Great Hall and headed to the kitchens instead. He couldn't sit with the other professors, especially the Headmaster, and act as though everything was fine. The last few months had been beyond difficult, and now he couldn't stop thinking about the Horcruxes and the possibility of disturbing his parents' final resting place. When he reached the portrait of the bowl of fruit, he automatically tickled the pear and stepped into the kitchen.

Pots and pans flew through the air, with steam rising up from a sink on the opposite wall. Four long tables occupied the middle of the room, each identical to the layout and size as the four house tables in the Great Hall. Large turkeys were cooking on the stove, currently being basted by three elves wearing tea cozies bearing the Hogwarts crest. Harry watched them work, stomach growling as he took a seat at the nearest table.

"How can Tippy help you?" a happy little elf asked as it danced from foot to foot, carrying a stack of pots twice her height.

At the question, the all of the elves paused and turned. Harry blushed as hundreds of large, round eyes peered at him. He was not expecting the attention, much less the sudden smack into his back.

Alarmed, Harry stood, wand aimed and ready to confront his attacker, but all he saw were two pointy ears sticking up from a pile of crocheted hats.

"Harry Potter, sir!" The pile squealed as it shook and a familiar elf appeared.

"Hello, Dobby," Harry greeted with a smile as he took a deep breath and pocketed his wand. He stooped to help Dobby collect his hats.

"Harry Potter, sir, is too kind! Let Dobby clean up his mess. Dobby is so sorry, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby wailed as he turned and grabbed a pot from Tippy and began to hit himself over the head with it.

"Stop that!" Harry commanded, wrenching the pot from Dobby's long fingers and falling on his bum.

Sighing, Harry stood up and handed the pot back to Tippy. "I missed dinner and was hoping to get a small meal. Could you help me, Dobby?" Harry asked, thinking that asking Dobby for help was the best way to control the situation.

"Of course Dobby can help!" The elf exclaimed, gathering his hats and scurrying off with Tippy in tow.

In the few seconds it took Harry to regain his seat at the table, Dobby popped in front of him with several trays full of various meats, cheeses, vegetables, and puddings.

"Dobby hopes this is enough for Harry Potter, sir!"

"Thanks, Dobby. I don't think even my cousin could eat this much!" Harry joked as he fixed himself a plate.

"Speaking of the Dursleys, have you seen them lately?" Harry asked the elf as he began eating.

"Oh, yes! Dobby is in charge of keepings the rooms clean. Harry Potter's aunt was so mad that we was cleaning that she yelled at the Headmaster! But Headmaster Dumbledore is saying that we must keep cleaning so no magic pests move in and scare the Muggles. Harry Potter's aunt is still not happy with this, so she is leaving us elves clothes."

"Who told her about freeing elves by giving them clothes?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Dobby doesn't know, Harry Potter, sir, but now Dobby is the only one that cleans those rooms." With a large toothy grin, he added, "But Dobby doesn't mind. Dobby likes the shrieks they make when he pops into the room. And that fat Duddel-ly keeps staring at Dobby. Dobby thinks he wants to capture and keep Dobby as a toy," Dobby added, his ears drooping at the thought.

Harry laughed for the first time all day. "Thanks, Dobby, I needed a good laugh," he replied, instinctively reaching for a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Oh, no! Dobby forgot to get Harry Potter some juice! Bad Dobby!" The elf wailed as he hit himself with a fist and ran off to fetch him a drink.

Seconds later, Dobby reappeared and placed a huge goblet of pumpkin juice on the table. "Dobby is very sorry," he cried, looking down at his toes, his eyes brimming with tears.

"It's okay, Dobby," Harry automatically responded as he set down his fork so that he could use two hands to try and lift the goblet that Dobby brought.

The goblet reminded Harry a bit of the one used to determine the names of the champions during the Triwizard Tournament. Thinking back on that, his mind was drawn to the remaining Horcruxes: _Potter heirloom, Nagini, Voldemort's ring, Slytherin's locket, Ravenclaw's diadem, Hufflepuff's cup…_

"Hey, Dobby. Have you ever heard of Helga Hufflepuff's cup?"

"Oh, yes, Harry Potter, sir! It is a legend that all Hogwarts' elves is knowing about. Mistress Hufflepuff, she was very kind to house elves. She loved to cook and spent a lot of time teaching the early elves some of the recipes we is still using today. She was seeing the magic the house elves have and when the Founders wanted to make Hogwarts strong, Mistress Hufflepuff wanted the elves to help. Mistress Hufflepuff put her witchy powers into the cup then had the early elves put some power in it too. The cup was put in a secret place somewhere in these kitchens and is still there today," Dobby finished.

Harry stared at the beaming elf, who looked thrilled to be able to help him. "Thanks, Dobby. I was wondering if I could ask something of you…"

"Oh, yes, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby will answer anything and help in any way!" the elf shrieked excitedly.

"I can't tell you why, but it's really important to me and the Headmaster that we find Hufflepuff's cup. Do you think you could help us?"

"Oh, yes, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby will find it, even if he dies trying!"

"No, Dobby! We don't want you to get hurt. If you find it, don't touch it. It might be dangerous. Let me or the Headmaster know. You can't tell anyone else, either," Harry warned.

"Dobby understands," Dobby responded with a bow, his demeanor serious and determined. "Dobby will find it and report back once he finds it." Dobby added, disappearing with a crack.

Harry sighed with relief as he returned to his food. He felt as though he was getting one step closer to finishing Voldemort for good.

-333-

"Bullocks!" Harry cursed as he looked at the time. He was late for his lessons with Snape and Remus. He raced to the Defense classroom and skidded to a halt as he came to the door. Knowing Snape, he would have some sort of retaliation for his tardiness. Wand at the ready, Harry opened the door.

"Harry!"

Harry didn't know what to think. Tied to a chair in the center of the classroom was his cousin.

"Dudley? "What happened?" Harry asked. He kept his back against the wall as he searched the room.

"Well, Mr. Lupin heard how I wanted to get out of the room that Mr. Double Door set up for us, so he told my parents that Smeltings sent a letter saying that I had to go to school for a wrestling physical. I convinced mum and dad not to come because I didn't want to look like a sissy in front of the rest of the team and after talking to Mr. Lupin, mum agreed to let him take me. He lied, though, and told me during dinner that if I pretend to be a hostage so that you can learn how to fight, you would show me around the castle. So can you untie me so I can check out the place?" Dudley finished with a smile.

"This is insane," Harry muttered as he finished surveying the room and stepped towards Dudley.

As he got within a few meters, a glistening wall appeared between Harry and Dudley.

"Harry? What's going on?" Dudley asked nervously.

"Nothing, Dud. It's just a protection spell so you don't get injured. Just…"

Harry was cut off as the teacher's desk suddenly exploded. He dove behind a student desk, watching as shrapnel flew throughout the room, pinging off of the protective barrier surrounding his cousin.

Dudley was screaming for help, struggling against the rope that bound him to the wooden chair that was somehow anchored to the floor.

Harry coughed as dust filled his lungs. He clutched his wand tightly in his hand and prepared to strike the second he saw his attackers.

The room instantly became quiet, Dudley's screams silenced.

"Dudley?" Harry's heart raced, his eyes scanning the room in an attempt to locate his cousin.

As the dust settled, Harry spotted him fast asleep, his nose making a whistling sound as he inhaled. A squeaking floorboard to his left made him spin around. Remus and Snape appeared and spells began to fly back and forth.

-333-

Harry fought back spells for what he thought was nearly an hour. His clothes were torn and filthy and he had a cut above his eyebrow that was oozing blood into his eye. He was exhausted from fighting two against one and dodging the curses that ricocheted off the protective barrier surrounding Dudley.

"_Lasiorhinus!" _Snape shouted, the curse missing Harry as he moved to hide behind a bookshelf.

"Potter! This is a _defense _lesson, not a game! Stop dodging and start _fighting back!_" Snape snarled.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ Harry shouted at Snape as he attempted to inch closer to Dudley.

Harry was exhausted. He was fighting two against one and trying to reassure his cousin at the same time.

"You're going to have to try harder than that!" Snape shouted back.

"What do you think I'm doing? I _am_ trying!" Harry retorted angrily.

"Then _prove_ it! Stop trying to hide and _fight back_!" Snape roared as he rushed towards Harry.

"_Tardigradus!"_ Remus incanted from behind.

A second later Snape yelled, _"Diffindo!"_

Harry turned and tried to duck Remus's spell, but it struck him in the shoulder. He fell, dropping his wand as he tried to break his fall. He tried to avoid Snape's spell, but it was like his body was moving in slow motion. He urged his body to move faster as he crawled to reach his wand, but in the end all he could do was watch as the cutting curse tore into his lower leg.

"Ugh!" Harry grunted as he sucked in a breath and reached to grab his leg. He was still moving as slow as a sloth, but the blood flowing out of the cut in his leg was gushing out in time with his heartbeat.

"Harry!" Remus exclaimed, cancelling the Slow Motion spell.

Harry sat up and clutched at the injury, blood covering his hands as both Snape and Remus moved towards Harry. Snape reached him first.

After clamping his hand on top of Harry's to compress the wound, Snape turned to Remus and ordered, "Bring me a Pain Relieving potion, two Blood Replenishing potions and the Number 4 Styptic potion. It's a burnt orange color and should be on the third shelf of the emergency supplies cabinet in the Hospital Wing. If not, bring me a bright orange colored Number 3 Styptic with some murlap essence and bandages."

Remus patted Harry on the shoulder before dashing out of the room.

Harry was breathing heavily, his jaw clenched tight in pain and his eyes watering as he watched the blood quickly pooling around his leg. He started to feel lightheaded and began to panic. The last time he saw this much blood was when Nagini bit Mr. Weasley. It was the same thing. The blood was pouring out of him and wouldn't stop.

"Look at me, Potter," Harry heard Snape say, but he couldn't bring himself to turn away. He heard Snape repeat himself several times as he watched a tendril of blood slither across the uneven stone and disappear into a crack in the floor.

"Harry, look at me," Snape finally ordered, tightening the hand he had on Harry's leg around the boy's hands.

Hearing his name and the change in Snape's tone, Harry was shocked out of his panicked thoughts and looked up to meet Snape's eyes. The look of worry that had been on Snape's face was replaced with one of determination, but his tone was still calm and reassuring.

"Good. Now I need to get you up off of this dirty floor so I can clean out the wound." With a flick of his hand, the teacher's chair on the other side of the room glided across the floor to land behind Harry.

"Ready?" Snape asked, standing up. "Up, Potter," Snape replied, extending his hands, "Grab onto my arms."

Harry was wary of Snape's sudden change in behavior, but he knew Snape could heal his leg. He reluctantly removed his hands from the cut and grasped Snape's forearms. Snape guided him onto the chair then conjured an antique green ottoman, carefully raising Harry's leg up onto it.

Snape drew his wand, causing Harry to flinch.

"Sorry," Harry hissed in pain, shaking as his hands tightened around the armrests.

"I know it hurts and what I'm about to do may be even more painful, but I need to slow down the bleeding. I'll tell you everything I'm going to do before I do it," Snape added as he bent down into Harry's line of sight.

Harry nodded, eager for Remus to return with that pain relieving potion.

"I need to get a better look at it, so I have to cut off the leg of your jeans," Snape explained as he pulled out a pocket knife. He stabbed it into the fabric and pulled, ripping off the trouser leg.

Harry yelled as the fabric separated from his skin. Some of the blood on the edge of the wound had dried to his trousers and pulling off the fabric caused the edges of the cut to start bleeding again.

"Sorry," Snape muttered as he tore the trouser leg into strips and wrapped them like a tourniquet around Harry's thigh.

"This tourniquet will slow down the bleeding a bit until Lupin comes back. With the amount of bleeding, I suspect the spell nicked an artery," Snape explained.

After taking off his outer cloak and rolling up his sleeves, he transfigured a desk into a basin and placed it under Harry's leg.

"Now I have to irrigate the wound. Before I can seal it, I need to make sure all of the dust and dirt is out of it. This will probably sting a bit."

"Ready?" Snape asked, pausing as he looked to Harry.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Harry answered.

Snape firmly grasped Harry's leg and incanted, _"Aguamenti_._"_

Harry hissed in pain, instinctively jerking his leg away from the stream of water flowing into the cut. However, Snape held a firm grip on it, rinsing out the wound and banishing the dirty, blood stained water as it filled up the basin.

"Severus, there was no Number 4 Styptic, but I found the Number 3," Remus panted as he ran into the room, his arms laden with supplies.

"Fine," Snape responded distractedly, focused on his task. "It took you long enough. Give him the pain reliever and pass me the styptic potion."

Remus uncapped the pain relieving potion and passed it to Harry, who took it with a shaking hand.

It seemed to have worked immediately as the pain instantly vanished. Harry sighed, exhaling as he rested his head against the back of the chair. He closed his eyes for a second, noticing for the first time the tears that were running down his face. Embarrassed, he hurriedly wiped is eyes with the back of his hands.

The pain in his leg gone, Harry looked down as he heard sizzling. Snape was replacing the stopper on the potion vial as Remus started to clean out the wound once more.

"Take this," Snape ordered, passing Harry a deep red colored blood replenishing potion. "You've lost a lot of blood. I'll give you the second dose once the wound's sealed."

Harry grabbed the potion; his dirty fingers briefly touching Snape's blood stained ones. As he downed the liquid, Harry noticed Snape watching him with an overly interested stare, almost like he was inspecting the quality of a prized potions ingredient.

After giving the empty vial back to Snape, Harry shifted his focus towards Remus, who had paused, looking strangely at Snape as the man turned his back on the two to prepare the essence of murlap.

Turning back to Harry, Remus gave him a sad smile and asked, "Hanging in there?"

"I guess," said Harry.

Remus stood, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder as Snape carried cloths soaked in murlap essence over. "Severus has extensive training in healing potions. He'll make you good as new."

Harry didn't know what to say to that. He was stuck once again trusting the one man who he trusted the least. And right now all he could do was watch as the man spelled his hands clean and peered into the laceration.

The styptic potion stopped most of the bleeding, but Snape covered all but the bottom edge of the wound with the murlap saturated linens anyway. He stuck his wand over the uncovered area and began chanting a spell that sounded to Harry like a sonnet written in a forgotten language. As Snape moved his wand up the wound and began removing the soaked bandages, Harry felt the strangest sensation and gasped. The muscles in his leg tensed, his toes tingled, and his skin tightened towards the cut.

"I'm okay," Harry answered in response to Remus tightening his grip on his shoulder.

Snape removed the last of the murlap essence and Harry leaned forward, noting that the wound was now sealed, a long scar and a pool of dried blood around his leg the only remnants of the injury. Snape wiped sweat from his brow with his forearm and exhaled.

"There's a scar, but that's the best I could do without the stronger styptic potion," Snape replied.

Harry bent his leg and stood, Remus hovering nearby.

"Whoa," Harry muttered dizzily as Remus dashed forwards, grabbing hold of his arm.

"Take this," Snape ordered, as Harry jumped, surprised by how quickly Snape had returned to his side. "You're dizzy because you've lost a lot of blood."

Harry downed the blood replenishing potion and immediately felt better. He shrugged off Remus and went to fetch his wand from the floor.

"I think it best to postpone Occlumency this evening, but I don't want to hear any excuses for a poor performance when we meet tomorrow. There's no reason you can't practice," Snape spoke up as he glared at Harry.

"Oh, and Lupin, I trust you can handle this?" Snape asked, waving his hand dismissively towards Dudley from near the door as he was about to leave.

"Of course," Remus responded with a nod.

"Professor Snape!" Harry called as Snape was ready to close the door.

At his raised eyebrow, Harry added, "Thanks for fixing my leg."

Snape stared at Harry for a few seconds before he turned and left without saying a word.

"Well, you've had an eventful day," Remus spoke up. "I'm sorry you got hurt, but I'm glad it wasn't anything more serious."

"Thanks, Remus. I knew there was always a possibility of getting hurt. It's worth it if my training will help against Voldemort," Harry responded.

"Why don't you go shower and rest? It's getting late anyway. I'll clean up this mess and escort your cousin back to his rooms. Don't worry. Dudley won't have any memory of this, but I do suggest you take pity on him and show him around tomorrow," Remus smiled as he ushered Harry out of the room.

"Night, Remus."

"Sleep well, Harry," Remus added as Harry left.

-333-

Remus returned Dudley back to his parents, the boy thinking that he needed to lose twenty more pounds to pass his wrestling physical and join the varsity team. He left the Dursleys to fuss over Dudley, as he was more interested in finding out what was behind Severus's strange behavior after Harry was injured. Snape accidentally left behind his cloak in the Defense classroom, so Remus headed to the dungeons with the perfect excuse to interrogate the man in his private quarters.

After spending so many years around Severus, Remus felt confident that something was amiss. He didn't miss the way Snape was looking at Harry when he first entered the classroom. The plan had been to catch Harry off guard as soon as he entered. Instead, Snape held off and signaled to wait, his eyes scanning Harry as the boy conversed with his cousin. And then, after the spell cut into Harry's leg, Snape had shown more than a typical healer's concern. He chose to stay with Harry, sending Remus off instead, even though he knew more about the potions and supplies that he needed. That's what was strange. Snape was acting as though he _cared_. But what changed? What was behind all of the strange looks Severus was giving Harry? Remus was determined to find out.

He knocked on the heavy oak door leading to Snape's quarters and listened as sharp footfalls came closer.

"What is it, Lupin?"

"Hello, Severus. You left your cloak in my classroom," Remus responded with a smile as he held out the garment.

"Thank you. Now, if you would excuse me, I'm in the middle of brewing," Snape countered, stepping back to close the door.

Remus anticipated this and stepped forward, extending his arm and leg to catch the door and hold it half open, "Oh, but this won't take long and I'm afraid it can't wait."

"What do you want, wolf?" Severus growled, "As you saw firsthand, the hospital stores are sorely lacking coagulation potions. I'm nearing a critical stage in their brewing and don't have time for petty conversation."

"I promise this won't take but a minute of your time. May I come in?" Remus asked with a continued calming voice.

"Make it quick," Severus answered, stepping out of the doorway and rushing off to his private lab. "And touch _nothing!"_

Remus had been in Snape's quarters a few times during his last tenure as Defense professor. The Potions Master had wanted to take samples from him to make modifications to the Wolfsbane Potion; however, Dumbledore felt it inappropriate for Severus to conduct his experimentation in the Potions classroom, infirmary, or any other public area as there was always a risk that students could discover Remus's secret.

"Wow," Remus muttered as he entered the lab, noticing the five cauldrons set up along a bench, all filled with liquids bubbling away.

"Get away from there!" Snape snarled as Remus leaned over a potion in a far corner he recognized as Wolfsbane. "Do you have a death wish? That potion is toxic to werewolves in that state. One drop on your skin would have you on the floor, gasping for air as the potion caused irreversible blood vessel and bronchial spasms."

Remus paled and muttered an apology as he backed away slowly, returning to lean on a stool close to Snape.

At Snape's stare, Remus realized this was his chance. He just had to make the conversation seem as benign as possible.

"Well, Albus has requested that I organize the required reading list for the upcoming Defense classes. I was contemplating using the same materials as three years ago, but I would like your opinion."

"It's your class, therefore you may use whatever materials you wish," Snape gruffly replied, measuring out a powdered substance.

"I believe the previous texts that I used for the lower levels will be more than adequate. However, I have heard about a defense session that Harry and his friends participated in last year. I am curious as to what level you believe the upper years will be at, given their private studying," Remus asked.

Snape moved to chop what looked like slimy tentacles. "I was not privy to what went on during those lessons. Perhaps you should ask Mr. Potter," he answered, focused on his task.

There it was. Remus had the perfect segue. "Speaking of Harry, has something changed between the two of you?" Snape paused momentarily, looking unnerved.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Snape responded.

"I saw how you looked at him today. It was like you were studying him; like you never saw him before and wanted to capture every detail. You stayed with him instead of getting the potions yourself. I've seen you with injured students before. You never stay with them. What's going on?" Remus pressed.

Snape slammed down his knife. "Is this why you came here? To interrogate me about what happened today?"

Remus said nothing, but the look on his face must have given him away.

"Get out," Snape growled.

"Severus…" Remus started.

"I said get _out_," Snape interrupted, cold faced, as he turned back to his cutting.

Remus didn't leave, but stood watching Snape.

Suddenly, Snape spun around, knife in hand, and snarled, "What do you want me to say? I lost control and almost sliced off the boy's leg! Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Remus was stunned. The last time Remus saw Snape this angry was when he was forced to interact with Sirius.

"But you didn't mean to harm him! He could have dodged it if my spell hadn't hit him at the same time," Remus replied, trying to calm the man.

"And what if the wound had been deeper? I hadn't restocked the emergency potion supplies. Poppy's away and you know it would be too dangerous to bring him to St. Mungo's. He could have died!"

"But he didn't! And you're brewing the missing potions now. Harry's going to be fine," Remus countered.

"I don't care about Ha…Potter. I just," Snape began, but stopped talking as he dropped his knife, hissed, and grabbed his forearm.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked, stepping forward.

"Damn it!" Snape yelled, picking up the knife and stabbing it into the wooden workbench. "I don't have time for this. He's calling. Here," Snape said as he thrust a pair of glass stirring rods into Remus's hand.

"I'm not letting these go to waste. These two are in their final stages. Add all of the tentacles in equal portions in exactly four minutes and stir thirty-three times counterclockwise. I hope you're capable of following those elemental instructions. Touch nothing else and when I get back from the Dark Lord I expect you to be gone," Snape ordered, rushing from his lab. Remus heard him set some verbal security spells on his private quarters and figured the man added some pretty dangerous nonverbal ones as well before racing out of the entry door.

-333-

Precisely four minutes later, Remus put on a pair of dragon hide gloves and dumped the tentacles into the bubbling yellow liquid. He watched as it turned dark orange and set down the now empty dish.

'Where's that other stirring rod?' Remus wondered to himself as he searched the table for the tool. He lifted up a sheet of parchment with notes and heard the tinkle of breaking glass.

"Oh, hell," Remus muttered, looking down at the broken remnants of the stirring rod. He couldn't repair it, so he set out to find a replacement.

After hurriedly searching four cabinets on his hands and knees, he found what he was looking for. As he was about to close the cabinet, he spotted a light source in the far corner behind some old cauldrons. Curiosity piqued, Remus kept the cabinet open as he stirred the potion as Severus directed.

Finishing, Remus dropped the stirring rods, unlit the burners under the cauldrons, and bent down into the cabinet once more to find the source of the light.

'A pensieve,' Remus thought as he pulled out the basin, careful not to spill the memory it contained.

He set it down and thought immediately of the incident Harry described to him last year. What if this was the same memory? He could see Lily, James, and Sirius again.

"My friends," Remus whispered as he stared at the pensieve. He knew it was wrong. Snape be furious if he found out. 'But this is different,' Remus thought. He was in this memory, so it wasn't like he was prying into Snape's personal affairs.

Then he remembered. Memories also contained feelings, something he was sure Snape wouldn't want him to experience. Snape was a man who kept his emotions bottled up and Remus understood that. He too hated it when people poked their noses into his own history. But what other choice did he have? After everything this past year, he _needed _to see those he loved again.

Sure, he could extract the memory from his own head, but what would he do with the memory currently in the pensieve? Remus paused and began to search for the special vial that memories are stored in. He knew it was a long shot, but he decided to look just in case.

After a few minutes of searching, Remus realized Snape didn't keep any of those vials in his lab. 'It's not like it would make any difference,' Remus convinced himself. He already knew Snape felt terrible when he called Lily a Mudblood. What difference would it make if he felt those feelings firsthand?

Despite his own set of morals shouting at him not to invade Snape's privacy, the grief Remus felt was just too strong. He never got a chance to say goodbye to any of them, and now that he was with Tonks all of those feelings of loss were mounting stronger every day. The longer he stared at the pensieve, the stronger the pull to see his friends was. After taking a deep breath and exhaling, he gave in to temptation, touching his nose to the shimmering surface.

-333-

Snape was exhausted. He was spared the Dark Lord's wrath, as today's meeting was so he could collect updates on his current plans. Malfoy and Runcorn were continuing to infiltrate the ministry, starting with low level employees. Kingsley and Arthur needed to know. He would have to alert Dumbledore later this evening as well, Snape mused as he shed his cloak and entered his lab to finish up on his brewing before running his errands.

'He's still here', Snape growled to himself as he strode towards Lupin, who was bending down behind a cauldron.

"Lupin, I told you," Snape began as he walked closer.

"That _bastard_!" Snape roared as he grabbed the back of Lupin's robes, yanked his head out of the pensieve, and flung the man up against the wall.

"You bastard!" Snape yelled. "How DARE you!" He roared as shoved the tip of his wand into Lupin's throat.

"He's your son!" Lupin gasped, eyes wide as Snape's hand tightened around his throat.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me! I appreciate any reviews/feedback on what you think about this fic so far. I have made some changes to chapter development based on suggestions before, so keep them coming! (I have some kind reviewers to thank for the addition of the Dursleys to this chapter, which was a brilliant idea, by the way.)

If you have added this fic to your alerts, favorites, or have taken the time to review, thank you so much! I'll do my best to update sooner in the future and I promise that this fic will be completed.

As always, updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page at fanfiction dot net.

_Coming up: _Hell hath no fury like a Snape scorned! Snape and Remus fight, Harry has Occlumency with Snape, and the first Horcrux is uncovered. Stay tuned!


	17. Enemies are Changing

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1_

Thanks so much to the best betas, _**boushh**_, _**xHarryIsMyHomeboyx**_, and _**breannatala**_ for beta reading this chapter! I really appreciate your help!

**Previously:**

"_That bastard!" Snape roared as he grabbed the back of Lupin's robes, yanked his head out of the pensieve, and flung the man up against the wall. _

"_You bastard!" Snape yelled. "How DARE you!" He roared as shoved the tip of his wand into Lupin's throat._

"_He's your son," Lupin gasped as Snape's hand tightened around his throat. _

-333-

**Chapter 17: Enemies are Changing**

Remus began to make gurgling noises as Snape's grip on his throat cut off his air supply. Snape was yelling at him, spittle flying on his face, but Remus was too panicked to make out the words. If he didn't do something soon, Snape was going to kill him. He started clawing at Snape's hold with one hand and fumbled for his wand with the other. Grasping it, he shot off a stunner at Snape just as his vision began fading.

Snape fell backwards, falling over a nearby stool. Remus was coughing and trying to catch his breath but kept his wand at the ready and trained on Snape. After several seconds, the retaliation that Remus was expecting did not occur. He stepped closer to Snape, who must not have received the whole brunt of the stunner as he groaned, sprawled out on top of a shattered stool.

"Bloody hell," Remus cursed as he noticed a bleeding gash on the side of Snape's head.

Snape groaned as he sat up. Out of instinct, he reached into his robes for his wand. Not finding it, Snape held out his hand and silently summoned his wand.

"You're hurt," Remus added, coughing. He was grateful the stunner seemed to have knocked some sense into Snape, as the man hadn't started hurling curses…yet.

Wand tight in his grip, Snape stood, clamping a hand to his sore forehead. He pulled his hand away and looked down, noticing blood on his palm.

Snape grabbed a towel off of a nearly shelf and held it to his head. "Get out before I do something that earns me a life sentence in Azkaban," he scowled, leading the way into his sitting area as he headed towards the door.

"If I hadn't stopped you, you probably would have killed me." Remus briefly paused, coughing before continuing. "Look, I'm sorry for invading your privacy. I'm not even going to try to explain myself, but I can't leave. Not yet, anyway. Not until we talk about what I saw," Remus replied carefully.

"There's nothing to talk about. This does not concern you," Snape answered.

Remus swallowed. "I'm the closest thing to…to a godfather that Harry has left. He's lost so much in his life that he deserves to be told the truth. He deserves to know he still has family other than the Dursleys. He needs to know that he has a _father_ that he can get to know."

"You sanctimonious bastard!" Snape growled. "You had no right! You walk around playing the victim," Snape began. "So, you're a werewolf who's treated like shite," Snape mocked. "You think that makes you the moral compass for the rest of the world?"

"I'm not trying to be righteous, but I know as much as you do what it's like to have regrets. They eat you alive from the inside out until there's nothing left. Nothing, that is, until you do something about it. Please, Severus, Harry needs to know the truth. Think about Lily," Remus implored.

"There's not a day that goes by that she isn't on my mind!" Snape yelled, throwing the now blood-covered towel in Remus's direction.

Remus watched as Snape paused in shock, looking as though he just confessed something that he never meant to say aloud to another living soul. His expression vanished as he stumbled over to the sofa and sat down. He buried his head in his hands, his dark, lanky strands of hair framing his face.

Remus took this as his cue and, after picking up the towel, sat across from Snape. He said nothing but watched as Snape struggled to control his rapid breathing.

Now that Remus had a better chance to observe Snape, he noticed the trembling of his hands, a telltale side effect of the Cruciatus curse.

"What are you afraid of?" Remus asked as the thought popped into his head.

At that, Snape looked up. He appeared exhausted, blood running down the side of his face, dripping down his neck and disappearing into the darkness of his black robes.

"Don't you get it? We're in the middle of a war against a vile, unforgiving soul who, along with his supporters, will stop at nothing to rid the world of anyone without so-called _pure_ wizarding blood. Potter's the Dark Lord's number one target. He's in enough danger without linking himself to a _Death Eater_, spy or otherwise," Snape growled.

"I'm not naïve. Harry's in danger every day. We try to keep him safe at his aunt's house or here in the castle but even that isn't foolproof. Being _linked_ to you, as you put it, wouldn't make Voldemort any less determined to kill him. You must realize that just as much as I do," Remus explained.

"Why can't you just leave it well enough alone?" Snape muttered. "Let the boy keep thinking that his father was a _saint_ who died protecting his family."

"So that's what this is about? Harry doesn't need an idealized portrait of a father. He needs a living one, flaws and all," Remus retorted.

"He has plenty of people who can coddle him. Hell, even you're doing a fine job of it," Snape countered.

"It's not the same! He doesn't say it, but I can tell he worries that if he says the wrong thing or does something I don't agree with that I'll abandon him. He _needs_ an adult that will care for him, regardless of his actions. I know you will disagree, but you're one of the more stable relationships in his life," Remus added with a smile.

At Snape's incredulous look, Remus continued. "Hear me out first. Despite your differences, you continue to protect Harry. You teach him, regardless of how infuriating he has made you in the past. Albus and Minerva have too many other responsibilities, Molly and Arthur may love Harry, but their own children come first and despite his connection to me through James and Sirius, I am forced to abandon him for several days a month. He needs _you_, Severus. Your treatment of Harry in the past may have been reprehensible, but I can tell he's growing on you."

"I must need to reformulate the Wolfsbane, because that's the only explanation I have for your complete and utter loss of common sense," Snape drawled.

"Mock me all you want. You know I speak the truth; you just don't want to admit it. Albus will have told Harry the details about the Horcruxes. The boy will need someone to talk to. He won't come to me, he never has," Remus added sadly.

"Just get up and leave already!" Snape said tiredly, lightly palpating his forehead.

"You know I'm right," Remus said seriously as he got up and headed to the door. "Harry deserves to know. Either you tell him before the upcoming school year or I will," he added, leaving Snape alone.

-333-

The next day, Harry awoke in the early afternoon. He had himself another late breakfast in the kitchens with Dobby, who was no closer to finding Hufflepuff's cup than he was earlier.

"Dobby will find it or die trying!" the elf shouted after him as Harry left, ready to tackle the next task on his agenda: show Dudley around Hogwarts.

He wasn't looking forward to it, but Dudley did deserve something fun after having to be Obliviated yesterday. After all, the boy needed all the brain cells he could get. Plus, he was decent enough in the Headmaster's office to admit that his parents treated Harry horribly. If there was the possibility of returning to the Dursleys next summer, then he was determined to stay on Dudley's good side. Harry would never consider him a friend, nor would he forget what the boy had done to him in the past. However, he did know that people can change.

Sooner than Harry had hoped, he was standing in front of the Dursley's temporary home in a large set of rooms off of the Great Hall. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. He wasn't excited to see his Aunt Petunia again so soon, but thankfully it was a weekday and his uncle would be away at work.

"I'll get it!" Harry heard Dudley shout from the other side of the door.

"How can I help…Harry!" Dudley exclaimed in shock. "What are you doin' here?"

"I heard you need to lose a little weight for wrestling. Want to go for a run?" Harry asked casually.

"Sure. It feels like I've been trapped here for weeks! Lemme tell mum. Come in," Dudley offered as he stepped away from the door.

Harry knew it was a replica of Number 4 Privet Drive, but the truth of that statement didn't hit him until that moment. Everything was the same, from the doilies under the lamps in the living room to the pictures of Dudley scattered about to the cupboard under the stairs.

Curious, he knelt down and unlatched the cupboard door. With the exception of a new mop, it was exactly as he had left it more than five years ago. Harry fingered the old, threadbare blanket as he looked around, spotting a little card in the far corner that he had forgotten about.

When he was seven, Harry's class had made St. Valentine's Day cards. The teacher told the class the cards were supposed to be for their parents, because "your parents love you more than anyone else in the world."

He had never thought of it that way, but he knew that if his parents were alive, they'd love him just as much as the teacher had said.

So, Harry tried his best to make a perfect Valentine's Day card, double checking his spelling with what the teacher had written on the board. He even practiced drawing hearts before he attempted one on his folded piece of colored paper. Now, taped to the wall before him was that card.

Looking back to make sure Dudley or his aunt weren't coming, Harry reached in and pulled down the card and opened it, the unsteady handwriting of his smaller self reading, "I know you are not here to love me. But I know you would love me. I love you mummy and daddy. Happy Valentine's Day. Love your son Harry Potter."

Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a shriek from the kitchen.

"Where is he?" Aunt Petunia yelled.

He quickly stuffed the card in his pocket and shut the cupboard door seconds before she entered the room.

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.

Harry responded quickly, his back to his aunt as he tried to hide his disgust of having to see her again. "Just waiting for Dudley. I heard he needs to get some exercise and was sent to take him out for an hour or two."

"Turn around when you are talking to me! We taught you better than that!" Petunia shrieked.

Harry was ready to spit out a nasty retort that would instantly trigger a fight, but instead, he tried to control himself. Using some of his Occlumency calming techniques, Harry spun around to face her.

The anger from her face quickly fled and was replaced with what looked like a mixture between curiosity and fear.

"What did you do to your face?" Petunia asked, pushing Dudley behind her in a valiant, if futile, attempt to protect her son.

Harry looked at them both confusedly for a moment before reaching up to touch his cheek and remembering. "Oh. Right. I guess no one told you. I was accidently burned as a baby and the…techniques used to heal my skin wore off. Because of new technology, this is what I really would have looked like if I wasn't injured," Harry explained, doing his best to avoid any mention of the role of magic in his healing.

"How do I know it's really you? In fact, I don't know why it took me so long to figure it out. You're Snape in disguise, aren't you?" Petunia asked suspiciously, her eyes darting across his face as though trying to visually detect a seam to a rubbery mask.

"What? How could you think I'm Snape? I've been doing your laundry long enough to know that you wear a size 6 dress and Dudley needed to have his uniform custom made before he lost weight," Harry responded.

"Fine, it's _you_," Petunia snarled from pursed lips, ignoring his questions. "And the answer is no. I'm not letting my Dudley wander this…this freakish place so he can get lost again. I know you'll ditch him the second you get the chance."

"And risk getting expelled, or worse, for having gotten a Muggle injured or killed and risking the secrecy of my world?" Harry retorted, not exactly sure why he was pushing so hard for Dudley.

"Come on, Mum! I need to lose a stone to fit in my weight class. Don't you want me to be happy?" Dudley whined.

"Of course I do, Dudders! But the boy's dangerous, you know that!" Petunia pleaded.

"But, Mum! That's not fair!" Dudley moaned, stamping his beefy foot like a toddler having a tantrum. "It's because of him that we're stuck _here_. You can't let him ruin my chances in wrestling! Please! It's only for a few hours."

"Just wait until your father gets home, and then we'll see about getting you an exercise machine," Petunia said calmly, trying to placate him.

"But I can't wait! I need to get started _now_! Lighten up, Mum. It'll just be today. I'll use a machine tomorrow, ok?" Dudley pleaded, plastering what he must have thought was a sad, puppy dog look on his face.

Regardless of how silly Harry thought Dudley's charade was, it was as successful as he remembered.

"Fine, you can go with the boy. But be careful and don't let him do anything _funny_," Petunia cautioned before patting him on the cheek.

"And _you_! If you harm my Dudley in any way, forget that Headmaster of yours. You'll have Vernon to answer to," Petunia warned.

"I understand," Harry spat out. Tired of wasting part of his day in a faux Number 4, Privet Drive, he headed to the door.

"Ready, Dud?" Harry called out as he reached the door, not bothering to turn as he exited, leaving the door wide open, eager to escape. However, one thought followed him out of the room. 'Why would she think I was Snape, of all people?'

-333-

Harry returned Dudley, as promised, a few hours later. He took Dudley out to the Quidditch field to go jogging, but his mind was elsewhere. The change in his cousin's attitude was bothering him. Since the dementor attack, Dudley was acting as though he and Harry were childhood friends. Harry liked the change but couldn't just ignore the years of bullying. Sure, he appreciated the apology, but it didn't erase the past. Every time he looked at Dudley, his heart would still beat just a little faster, out of habit. He tried to forget about it, to pretend that the past was unimportant, but the fear still lingered in the back of his mind. Even as they ran at Hogwarts, _his_ territory, he still had a spark of doubt in his mind that something would set his cousin off and the boy would return to his tormenting ways. If someone told him at the start of summer that he'd spend time with Dudley, actually talking to the boy, he would have thought the person was crazy. Time, Harry decided, was the only way to rid his mind of his doubts.

Thinking about it as he made his way to see Remus, Harry had to admit to himself that time was also doing a good job at changing his perception of Snape. Though he didn't inflict physical punishments, his verbal and emotional jabs were far superior to the punches, kicks, and taunts that Dudley flung at him. He hated Snape and loathed being in the same room as the man. But that had changed. As ordered by Dumbledore, Harry changed his attitude around the man. Like with Dudley, he didn't forget the history of insults from Snape, but the change in the man's behavior certainly was making it easier to push the past aside and move on.

Harry had never seen Snape act so…thoughtful. It felt strange to think of the man caring about another human being besides himself, but he realized he thought of Snape differently ever since the incident with the cutting curse. Instead of mocking him for crying or yelling at him for getting hurt, Snape reassured him and, in his own way, comforted him. Harry shook his head. This summer was full of surprises and it wasn't even over yet. Between the fall of the wards, the Dursleys using Hogwarts as a temporary home, Snape's changing behavior, Dumbledore's talk about the Horcruxes, and his new looks after the healing potion, Harry was actually looking forward to school starting again so life could get back to normal.

Harry knocked on Remus's door, eager to spend some time with the man.

"Afternoon, Harry," Remus greeted with a smile. "Come on in. Sit anywhere you'd like."

"Thanks," Harry responded as he entered and took a seat on the sofa.

Remus moved to sit on an armchair across from Harry. "I was hoping you'd stop by today," Remus said as he poured them both some tea from a pot on the table between them.

"How's your leg?" Remus asked as he sat and sipped his tea.

"It's good. A little stiff when I woke up, but I went jogging with Dudley and it feels normal now," Harry replied as he kicked off his trainers and crossed his legs, unconsciously mirroring Remus's relaxed posture.

"You took your cousin out?" Remus asked. "How'd that go?"

"It was really strange. He was acting nice to me. I think it was the first time we've spent together where he didn't pick a fight or get me in trouble. The only thing I can think of to explain the change is the dementor attack. Do they have some effect on people like that? I mean, they didn't try to suck out his soul and only get out the bad bits, did they?"

Remus smiled, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. I really wish it was though. We could just surround Voldemort and his followers with dementors and rid them of the "bad bits" as you called it."

More seriously, Remus continued, "You know that the dementors have you relive some of your worst memories. It's been theorized that in some individuals, Muggles in particular, that the flashbacks can play a role in one's conscience. The difference is that wizards and witches can see dementors while Muggles cannot. For them, it's almost like a near death experience, and surviving such soul searching can really alter one's psyche and what they feel is important in life."

"So they experience more of an internal attack and we don't because we see it for what it is, an attack by a magical being?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"Exactly. The dementors use horrible memories that we have as a ploy to weaken us in order to steal our souls. Of course, neither interpretation is wrong, but it is fascinating how different people can see or experience the same thing and come away from it with varying responses," Remus added.

Both were quiet for a moment, lost in thought and drinking their tea in companionable silence.

"Did you happen to run into your aunt and uncle?" Remus asked casually, but Harry could tell the man was a little worried.

"It was okay. Uncle Vernon was at work, thankfully, but my aunt was there. Dudley had to get permission from her to come with me," Harry answered.

"Based on what I saw when they arrived here, I'm surprised she agreed," Remus responded.

"You haven't seen my cousin beg. He turned into a two year old, stamping his foot and throwing a fit until he got his way. I guess the dementors could only change him so much," Harry chuckled.

"I'm glad to hear she didn't give you too much of a hard time," Remus added.

"Well, she did say something you'll never believe. She thought I was Snape in disguise," Harry said, making a face as though the thought was ridiculous.

"Did she?" Remus asked, taking a long sip of tea, "That _is_ a pretty unbelievable thought."

"She said something about my new features. Do you think I look like Snape now? I mean, I saw that picture showing that she and my mum knew him as a kid. Maybe I reminded her of him with my robes? I dunno. It's just…I was so used to looking just like my dad and now I have to search to find similarities," Harry nervously admitted.

"Oh, Harry," Remus sighed. "When I sit here, I see a young man that makes me more proud of him every day. I used to see a boy with his father's face and his mother's eyes, but then I got to know you. Now I see you, Harry, a wonderful person with a kind heart. You are protective of those you care for and fiercely loyal. Those are the traits you got from your mother and father that matter, not the shape of your nose or the color of your hair," Remus answered seriously.

Harry blushed, uncomfortable with all the praise, but none the less, he was put at ease.

"About your leg," Remus began, and Harry was grateful for the change of subject. "I read up on the healing potions and spells Professor Snape used. The stiffness is to be expected for another day or two until the tissue can regain its full elasticity or stretch. I don't know if Severus told you or not, but defense lessons are cancelled for tonight and tomorrow to make sure you are fully healed. Unfortunately," Remus added with a smirk, "Occlumency lessons are still on."

"Thanks for the good news," Harry responded sarcastically, flinging a biscuit at Remus. It hit the man in the forehead.

Remus feigned confusion. "It must be my lucky day. Treats are falling from the sky!" Remus smiled, munching on the biscuit.

Harry laughed and Remus waved his hand, sending a biscuit towards Harry, smacking the boy in the cheek.

"Looks like you're pretty lucky today, too," Remus joked.

-333-

After his talk with Remus, he went back to look at some of his mother's pictures. He found another that featured Snape and his mum. They were sitting next to each other at a dinner table, smiling, with Petunia in the background, her hand on Snape's shoulder. He wanted to ask Snape about it but needed the right segue to begin the discussion. He knew his father was a sore subject to Snape. Was that why he didn't talk about his mother, either? But they looked like friends. Harry wanted to know what went on between the two, especially after the Headmaster's story about the childhood friendship between the young boy and girl.

It was a strange story for Harry to think back upon because he could really identify with the boy that he suspected was Snape. Dumbledore said the boy was mistreated by his family, grew up without friends and with old, ratty clothes. Hogwarts had been his escape, too. He couldn't imagine what his life would have been like if he left the Dursleys, only to come to Hogwarts and experience the same harassment and tormenting.

Harry cursed internally. He was starting to feel sorry for Snape, the greasy git of the dungeons who had made it his life's mission to ensure that there was always one person ridiculing Harry, even if it was Snape himself.

Sooner than he hoped, Harry was knocking on Snape's office door, a whole two minutes before his scheduled Occlumency lesson. He braced himself. Snape was different lately. He was determined to use that to his advantage and ask about his mother.

"Potter. Sit down," Snape said as he opened the door and waved Harry in.

Harry wearily took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Snape's desk. He was nervous, knowing that sitting meant talking, which typically did not bode well for Harry.

Snape sat behind his desk, folded his hands over his wand and just stared at him. Harry didn't know what to think. He knew he wasn't using Legilimency, but the longer the time passed with Snape scanning his features, the more uncomfortable Harry became.

"Sir?" Harry asked, unnerved by the silence.

That must have been enough to release Snape from his thoughts, as the man suddenly stood, pointing his wand at Harry. He had no time to react before Snape silently shot a spell at him.

"What the hell was that?" Harry asked angrily, searching himself for some negative effect due to the spell.

"Language, Potter," Snape remarked, retaking his seat. "It was a simple healing charm to detect injuries. I wanted to monitor the healing of your leg without mindless interference," Snape sneered. "It appears that you have suffered no lasting damage, so we'll resume defense lessons in two days."

"Oh, good," Harry remarked. "Thanks for mending it," he added.

Snape ignored the expression of gratitude and remained silent, so Harry decided to risk his life and ask the question he had been itching to ask since he walked into the room.

"Sir? There's something I've been wanting to ask you," Harry began, and when Snape didn't protest, he continued. "Well, you see, the Headmaster gave me a box of photos from my Aunt's house. It was full of pictures of my mum growing up."

Harry watched as Snape's grip tightened on his wand, but he ducked his head, deciding to just blurt it out. "I know you two were friends. Can you tell me more about her and what you did together?"

Harry held his breath and glanced up at Snape. He looked ill.

"Who put you up to this?" Snape hissed, leaning forward in his chair. "Was it Lupin?"

Harry was taken aback. "What? No, no one told me to say something. Look, I have a picture here."

Harry stood and pulled the photo out of his back pocket, thrusting it in front of Snape's face.

Snape stared at the photo, and to Harry's shock, Snape's pursed lips relaxed and curved slightly upwards into a small smile. Another emotion crossed his face that Harry couldn't quite place. Sorrow, maybe?

His expression disappeared as he turned back to Harry, pushing the photo off to the side of his desk.

"You will not mention any of this to your little friends, or anyone else for that matter," Snape stated.

"Of course, sir," Harry replied automatically to his statement, eager to hear what Snape had to say.

"Yes, Lily and I were friends growing up. I lived nearby and introduced myself after I saw her do accidental magic. She was the first magical person my age that I met," Snape explained.

"What was she like? What did she like to do for fun? What was her favorite food? What were her parents like?" Harry blurted out.

Snape raised his hand and Harry quieted.

"She enjoyed the Muggle game 'hide and go seek' and liked strawberries. Lily was a beautiful person, inside and out," Snape said distractedly, his eyes focused on the picture.

"What else?" Harry asked excitedly, surprised by Snape's willingness to speak about his mother and wanting to draw as much out of him as possible.

"That's enough. You've already wasted too much time. Occlumency will be a bit different tonight. I'm going to search for specific memories triggered by a word. The Dark Lord won't give you a hint about what he is looking for if he enters your mind; however, your abysmal performance in Occlumency dictates that I slow down the pace," Snape sneered.

"In addition," Snape continued, "your recent discovery has given me an idea. As an added incentive, if you make progress in Occlumency, I'll answer one question about your mother at the end of each session."

Harry didn't know what to think. First the man ridiculed him, now he appeared to actually be attempting to teach him _and_ was offering him stories about his mum. However, he didn't thank Snape – or say anything, for that matter – because he wasn't about to anger the man who was about to raid his mind. Snape could choose any word he wanted, drawing out horrible memories that Harry hoped to avoid.

"Stand up," Snape commanded, walking towards Harry.

Once the two were in position, Harry took a deep breath and readied himself for the attack, trying to refocus on the lesson.

"We'll start with Hogwarts houses. I'll name a house and attempt to pull memories of that house to the forefront of your thoughts. Your goal is to stop me," Snape explained. "Ready?"

At Harry's nod, Snape said, "Ravenclaw." A split second later he raised his wand, "_Legilimens_."

_Harry was talking to Neville, Luna sitting in the same cabin as she read her Quibbler upside down._

_Harry was flying on his broom, chasing after the snitch with Cho Chang at his side._

_He was at the Yule Ball, watching with jealousy as Cho danced with Cedric._

'No,' Harry thought, struggling to push Snape out.

_Cedric was laying in the graveyard, his lifeless eyes staring up at the sky._

_Sirius face looked stunned as he was shot into the veil. _

Harry heard screaming and realized it was his own. 'No!' he growled, not wanting to keep replaying Sirius's death in his head.

_Luna was looking for her stolen belongings, comforting a grieving Harry by telling him that while she can't bring her mother back, she knows they will see each other again. _

'Enough!' Harry roared and pushed with all his mental strength, finally removing Snape from his mind.

Harry was on his knees, gasping for breath. He wiped the tears off of his face and calmed himself a bit before standing and facing Snape.

"You need to focus! That example demonstrates the power that even a benign word like Ravenclaw can have to draw out your deepest secrets. I was easily able to reach other thoughts because of your emotions attached to memories," Snape explained.

"I'm trying!" Harry demanded, "But it's hard."

"It may be difficult for you, but think of the alternative! Do you want the Dark Lord to see what I just saw? Do you want him to know who your friends are and what memories he can use against you?" Snape asked.

"You know I don't!" Harry yelled.

"Watch your temper," Snape remarked, pointing his wand at Harry.

"Again," Snape spoke and Harry once again prepared himself as best he could.

"The next word is Slytherin. _Legilimens._"

_Harry was sitting under the Sorting Hat as it told him he would be great in Slytherin._

_Harry watched as the Slytherin Quidditch team walked toward him and the other Gryffindors, all carrying new brooms._

_He was hiding in an alcove, listening in as students passing him were calling him the Heir of Slytherin._

_Tom Riddle was talking to him in the Chamber of Secrets as basilisk poison was slowly spreading through Harry's body._

_He was wearing Slytherin robes and entering the Slytherin common room, the face of Goyle reflected in the mirror as he passed by._

'Oh, no!' Harry thought as he strengthened his force against Snape, who seemed to be pushing into his mind even harder after that memory.

_Dumbledore was telling Harry about the Horcruxes, showing a hologram image of Slytherin's locket._

'Get out!' Harry growled as he struggled against Snape.

_Harry was at Grimmauld Place with Sirius and the Weasleys, ridding the room of Dark artifacts. They were passing around a locket, none of them able to open it._

Harry was thrown back on the stone floor as Snape ended the spell.

"What was that?" Snape asked.

"Well, in second year," Harry began, attempting to explain away his presence in the Slytherin common room.

"Not that," Snape growled, "The locket! You had it!"

Harry thought back for a second before remembering the last memory of the locket.

"We have it!" Harry said excitedly. "Slytherin's locket is at Grimmauld Place!" he added with a smile. "We have to tell Dumbledore."

"It's Headmaster Dumbledore, Potter," Snape corrected as he strode over to the floo. "Waiting for an invitation?" Snape mocked as he held out a jar of floo powder.

Harry just glared, taking out a handful of powder and shouting, "Headmaster's Office!" before vanishing in green flames.

Harry fell out of the Headmaster's fireplace, landing on his hands and knees with a muttered "oomph" as the wind was knocked out of him.

Seconds later, Snape strode into the office, stepping over Harry to approach the Headmaster who sat behind his desk and was looking up from a giant stack of papers at the two of them.

"To what do I owe this visit from two of my favorite people?" Dumbledore asked serenely.

"The boy has known of the location of Slytherin's locket for months!" Snape exclaimed.

**

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A/N:

Hope you like this early Valentine's Day present! Feel free to submit a review…it's better for my waistline than a box of chocolates :)

First off, thanks for all the amazing reviews! It brightens my day to read what you think and it helps to know what parts you like the best. Keep them coming! Also, thanks to all of you that added my little fic to alerts or favorites lists! You guys are great! Ok…I better stop the thanking for now because I'm starting to sound like an awards show.

As always, updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page at fanfiction dot net.

_Coming up:_ We're off to find the Horcrux!


	18. Removing the Past

_Disclaimer: see Chapter 1_

Thanks so much to the best betas, _**boushh**_, _**xHarryIsMyHomeboyx**_, and _**breannatala**_ for beta reading this chapter! I really appreciate your help!

**SUMMARY OF THE STORY SO FAR (story continues after summary)****:**

Snape formulated a potion for Voldemort that allowed him to penetrate the wards on Number 4 Privet Drive. With the help of Fred and George, Harry and the Dursleys arrived safely to Hogwarts. Dumbledore ordered Snape and Harry to attempt to get along and occlumency lessons were resumed, as well as defense lessons with both Snape and Remus. The Headmaster told Harry of Petunia's jealousy towards Lily, which centered on Lily's ability to do magic and a young wizarding boy who favored Lily over Petunia. According to Dumbledore, the boy eventually lost their friendship after a schoolyard incident.

The Dursleys are staying at Hogwarts while their home is repaired. Dudley snuck out and went missing, but Harry was able to find him with the help of the Marauder's Map. However, when inspecting the map he saw that his name was flickering. In addition, Harry had been having strange dreams and tingling sensations in his arms. In his quest to learn more about the map, Harry asked Fred and George, who explained how they discovered the password.

Remus was slightly injured when the Order arrived to rescue Harry and he came to Hogwarts with Tonks when he was healed, announcing to Harry that they were engaged. Remus and Harry talked about Sirius and Remus stressed that his death wasn't Harry's fault. Harry mentioned his name flashing on the map and Remus was interested and took the map to look into it. Remus was much more helpful than the twins and he remembered an incident during Harry's first birthday party where Harry was severely burned in the floo powder contaminated fireplace after crawling near the flames when no one was watching. A healing potion for the resulting wounds contained James' blood and was the reason why Harry looked so much like James.

However, after 15 years, the potion was wearing off. In that time, Snape and his mentor discovered Ardor Curatio, a healing potion that would permanently restore one's natural appearance and only remove the scars. Following painful withdrawal symptoms, the original potion stopped working on his birthday. Snape administered the Ardor Curatio and Harry fell asleep as the brew took effect.

Harry's hair was straighter, his nose was longer, his skin was paler, and his hands and feet were bigger, but he was still the same height. He was disturbed by the new appearance and the lack of his father's features, but was happy to see more of his mum. When Petunia saw the changes, she thought he was Snape in disguise.

For his birthday, Harry got a box full of pictures of his mum that were found at his aunt's house. Looking through it, he found a picture of a young Lily and Snape and Remus explained that they were friends growing up. Harry realized that Snape was the boy that Dumbledore was telling him about.

While Harry learned about the connection between his mum and Snape, Snape had received obliviated memories that revealed that Harry was Snape's biological son. Remus found out when he invaded Snape's privacy and looked at the memories in Snape's pensieve. Remus threatened to tell Harry if Snape didn't. Harry and Snape were beginning to tolerate one another enough so that Harry asked about Snape's friendship with his mother.

Dumbledore told Harry about the Horcruxes and that the ones that remained were aPotter heirloom, Nagini, Voldemort's ring, Slytherin's locket, Ravenclaw's diadem, Hufflepuff's cup. Harry told Dobby to keep a lookout for the cup and during occlumency lessons Harry remembered Slytherin's locket was at Grimmauld Place.

-333-

**Previously:**

"_To what do I owe this visit from two of my favorite people?" Dumbledore asked serenely._

"_The boy has known the location of Slytherin's locket for months!" Snape exclaimed._

-333-

**Chapter 18: Removing the Past**

"I didn't _know _that I knew," Harry explained as he sat next to Snape across from the Headmaster.

At Dumbledore's bewildered look, Harry continued, "I only remembered during occlumency lessons. Sna…Professor Snape said the name of a Hogwarts house before he invaded my mind."

"So I assume the locket appeared in a memory after Slytherin house was named?" Dumbledore surmised.

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape interrupted. "I saw the boy and his friends cleaning Headquarters under the direction of the Weasley matriarch. It was only a flashing moment, but it may still be at the house."

"So will you send the Order to find it?" Harry asked.

"Unfortunately, it's not that easy," Dumbledore responded, leaning back in his chair.

"Kreacher!" Dumbledore called out.

"Filthy mudblood-lover has summoned Kreacher?" the elf said hoarsely as he appeared with a loud crack.

Harry had instinctively stood at Kreacher's appearance, his wand out and pointed at the elf. Snape was standing as well, his wand held firmly at his side. His other hand rested on Harry's outstretched arm.

"What's he doing here?" Harry yelled accusingly. "The bastard won't give it to you!"

"Language, Potter," Snape spoke calmly from next to Harry.

"Nasty brat!" Kreacher began, only to be interrupted by Harry.

"Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you!" Harry growled.

The elf's face contorted in anger, but he kept silent.

"Potter, stop!" Snape snapped. "Sit down and be quiet. He's here for a reason. Vengeance won't help," Snape added, pushing Harry down into his chair.

"Don't move," Snape warned, standing behind Harry with one hand firmly on his shoulder.

Harry took a deep breath as he stared at Kreacher. If looks could kill, the elf would be a pile of smoldering ash. The feeling must have been mutual because Kreacher was glaring right back. He looked more unkempt than before, long white strands of hair growing like a forest out of his ears and his threadbare clothing hanging loosely over his skeletal frame.

"Well, it appears that the situation is not as dire as I feared," Dumbledore remarked, unwrapping a lemon drop.

"Lemon drop?" Dumbledore asked, offering the candy to his guests.

Both Harry and Snape declined. "Can we get back to the issue at hand?" Snape asked.

"I'm sorry, Severus, but we have fantastic news," Dumbledore responded, smiling.

Harry felt Snape remove his hand from his shoulder. He must have felt as though Harry wasn't going to start a house-elf duel in Dumbledore's office because he pocketed his wand and regained his seat.

"As you know, Harry, Sirius left you Grimmauld Place and all of its contents in his will. House elf magic can be tricky and I was unsure that Kreacher's ownership transferred to you as well. I was worried that if he found out about the purpose of our visits to Grimmauld Place then word would spread to Voldemort. But, as you can see, you told him to keep quiet and he has done so," Dumbledore explained.

"Can't I just set him free?" Harry asked eager to dispense of the elf.

"If you do that, then there is absolutely nothing stopping him from turning to other members of the Black family. I suggest you keep him as he is," Dumbledore advised.

"What if I give him to someone else?" Harry said as he looked at the others in the room. "Can I give him to Professor Snape?" Harry asked with an eager grin.

"You do that Potter and it will be your head mounted on the wall and not the elf's," Snape threatened.

"Fine," Harry sighed, "I'll keep him, but he's not staying with me here."

"I wouldn't expect him to," Dumbledore answered. "He'll stay at Grimmauld Place if you order him there."

Harry didn't need to be told twice. "Kreacher, stay at Grimmauld Place. Don't visit anyone or leave the house unless I allow it, and," Harry paused as he thought about what else to add. He didn't want Kreacher to do anything that would prevent them from destroying the Horcrux. "Oh, and keep the place as you would have for Walburga Black."

"You want me to keep everything like Mistress wanted it?" Kreacher asked suspiciously.

Harry looked at the others for help, only receiving a nod and smile from Dumbledore and a curious stare from Snape.

"Well, yeah," Harry responded. "The house should be kept up and well maintained."

He remembered the magical pests that had taken up residence in Headquarters, and he thought it would be best if Kreacher at least tried to clean up. He knew from his experience with the diary that the Horcruxes were dangerous and wanted to reduce the chances of Order members getting hurt. He couldn't control the Horcrux, but he could try and keep the rest of the house safe.

"Kreacher can do that! I will keep it how Mistress liked it, Master," Kreacher vowed as he bowed to Harry.

As much as it pained him to be civil, Harry had to maintain his façade to ensure that the elf didn't return to Bellatrix or the Malfoys. "You do that. Goodbye, Kreacher."

"New Master is much better than that nasty blood-traitor," Kreacher mumbled to himself as he apparated away.

"Good riddance! Let me know when I can get rid of him for good," Harry told Dumbledore.

"I will, my boy. You handled him very well. A little kindness, even if it is forced, goes a long way," Dumbledore added.

"I would have asked Kreacher about the Horcrux but I was worried about what he would do if he knew we were looking for it." Turning to Snape, he continued, "Now that we have that settled and are certain that Harry is indeed the owner of Grimmauld Place, Severus, you and I must determine how we will destroy the Horcrux once we find it."

Harry tried to pay attention to the discussion, but he started to zone out when the discussion shifted from destruction spells to destroying the Horcrux with a potion. His thoughts drifted to Sirius. He thought he did a good a job handling Kreacher, but a part of him felt like he betrayed Sirius. He hoped that Sirius, wherever he was, wouldn't be mad at him for choosing to treat Kreacher kindly. With a Horcrux hidden in the house, it needed to be done and Harry hoped Sirius would have agreed. Even Snape seemed pleased with the outcome, although Harry doubted the mildly impressed look was directed towards him. He thought the man was probably just relieved that he hadn't taken the easy way out and relinquished control of Kreacher to him.

As Harry stared at Snape, he discovered that the current discussion was taking an interesting turn.

"We can't just owl order any venom or toxin and hope that throwing it at the Horcrux will be successful. Not only will the Dark Lord become suspicious of our sudden interest in dangerous potion ingredients, but we have no guarantee anything we try will work," Snape argued.

"The basilisk venom worked quite well," Dumbledore responded, inclining his head to Harry before pulling the diary out of his desk drawer and sliding it over towards Snape.

Wordlessly, Snape cautiously picked up the destroyed diary and flipped through the damaged pages.

"It may have worked at the time, but there are only a handful of apothecaries that have access to the venom. Besides, it would cost more than the teacher's combined salaries for the last 10 years to obtain and with the regulations the Ministry would be aware of its purchase the second the transaction is complete," Snape countered.

"What about the one I killed?" Harry interjected.

"What about it? It's been destroyed," Snape answered.

"Actually," Dumbledore added with a twinkle to his eyes, "As luck would have it, the elves repaired the damage before I could fly down into the Chamber. I couldn't bring myself to force a twelve-year-old boy back to the place where he and his friend nearly died just to destroy an already dead animal. The basilisk remains are still where Harry left them."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Have you any idea what I could have done with basilisk ingredients? The events I could have prevented?" Snape asked, glaring at the Headmaster. "I could have ended him when he first came back!" Snape growled as he stood and slammed his hand holding the diary onto Dumbledore's desk, breathing heavily.

"And get yourself killed in the process?" Dumbledore asked, his expression cold. "We've discussed this, Severus," he added, staring into Snape's eyes.

Harry felt uncomfortable watching the two older men. He had never seen Snape that angry with the Headmaster. In fact, he'd only seen Snape that angry a few times before and that was only when the man was confronting either him or Sirius.

Harry watched the silent conversation take place. Snape broke away first, brushing his hair back from his face and tugging at it in an uncharacteristic moment of visible frustration.

"You should not place so much responsibility on one person," Snape stated firmly.

"I've only done what is necessary. I've tried to delay the inevitable as much as I could," Dumbledore responded, looking over to Harry.

Snape seemed to take this as a hint to remember that Harry was still in the room because he suddenly shifted the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Since we have access to it, we should stick with the Basilisk venom to destroy the remaining Horcruxes."

"Are you willing to return to the Chamber?" Dumbledore asked Harry.

"Yeah. I just wish I thought of it sooner," Harry responded.

"All that matters is we are one step closer to finding and destroying the rest of the Horcruxes," Dumbledore placated. "You've been a great help. Professor Snape and I need to discuss the details of our journey to Grimmauld Place. Why don't you go down to the Great Hall? Remus and Tonks should be there. I believe the elves have begun to serve dinner."

"Okay. Goodbye Professors," Harry answered as he all but dashed out of the Headmaster's office, hungry and excited to tell Remus the recent developments.

-333-

Harry's excitement was destroyed the second he stepped into the Great Hall and saw his dining companions.

"We're goin' home tonight!" Dudley exclaimed, shouting to Harry from across the hall where he sat, munching on a large chicken leg.

To Dudley's right sat Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, both of whom glared at Harry as if the boy would disappear based on desire alone. Sitting on the other side of the table a few places away from the Dursleys were Remus and Tonks, who had turned around to face Harry.

"That's great," Harry responded, uncomfortable with the dining arrangements but eager to be rid of the Dursleys for another year.

"Hiya, Harry. Come join us," Tonks urged, scooting over so that Harry could sit between her and Remus.

As Harry sat, Remus patted him on the back and a full plate of food appeared before him. Harry dug in, trying to ignore the other half of the table. Unfortunately, his attempt at ignoring them was short lived.

"Mum and Dad promised me we could eat our last dinner here. They never got to take me out to celebrate me passing all my classes so they're making up for it now," Dudley remarked.

"Too right," Vernon muttered. "Your mother and I have a lot to be proud of, Dudley. You've turned out great despite being forced to associate with Potter here."

Harry opened his mouth to retort but Tonks interrupted him as she knocked over his goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Tonks apologized as both Remus and Harry jumped back to avoid becoming covered in juice.

"It's okay," Harry smiled as he vanished the mess, gaining a bit of satisfaction from the yelps of surprise as the Dursleys watched him perform magic.

Remus chuckled, "I don't think I've had a meal with you where you haven't spilled something."

Harry laughed along with him.

"Very funny, guys," Tonks smiled.

Harry tried to ignore the Dursleys as he went back to eating, making small talk with Remus and Tonks, but his curiosity got the best of him.

"I thought they would be here a few more weeks," Harry whispered to Remus, eyeing the Dursleys.

"The house was in pretty bad shape, much worse than Albus first believed. There was a lot of fire and water damage, but that was fairly easy for us to repair. Molly, Arthur, Bill, and Charlie were a big help. Apparently the twins set the Burrow on fire or flooded their rooms on a weekly basis before they set up their shop," Remus smiled.

"The electrical damage was the hard part," Tonks added.

"We had to call in Muggle electricians to help us with that. Charged us an outrageous price, but got the job done a few days ago. Mundungus got replacements for Dudley's damaged electronic toys," Remus explained.

"Kingsley and I had a blast trying them all out to see if they worked properly. Did you know they have simulated fighting games? I can't beat him in a duel, but I kicked his arse on that video toy," Tonks laughed.

"I would have loved for the Dursleys to see that. A group of wizards and witches touching their things and sitting on their sofa playing video games," Harry remarked smiling.

"Be happy they didn't. If they saw what we did they'd never go back home," Remus smirked.

"Well, in that case, it's good that they're leaving," Harry added.

The conversation waned and Harry's thoughts continued to focus on the Dursleys. He had grown up wanting their love, craving a warm hug when he was scared or just an ounce of the kindness they showered Dudley with. He yearned for that perfect family, the mum and dad who he had in his dreams. Instead, he grew to learn to comfort himself.

Looking over to Remus, who was laughing at something Tonks said, he realized he _was_ home. He had friends who loved him, adults who protected him, and that was all that mattered. He finally had the family he wanted, even if they weren't related to him by blood. He wished every day that he had his mum, dad, and Sirius to confide in, but it was nice to no longer feel completely alone.

He was thinking a lot about family lately. He worried about the Horcruxes and didn't even want to think about what might have to be done if one was buried with his parents. Then there were the Dursleys. He couldn't fully focus on the war against Voldemort when he was constantly reminded of what to look forward to back at the Dursleys next summer. He just wanted to end the war so he could finally live his life. When he saw the Dursleys, he was no longer the savior of the Wizarding World, but a lonely little boy.

Remus interrupted his musings. "I take it you're ready to return home?" he asked the Dursleys, who were all standing in front of them, each with a small duffel bag over one shoulder. Harry hadn't even noticed them get up.

"Obviously," Vernon snapped back.

Remus and Tonks stood. "We'll walk you to the Headmaster's office. You'll be home within the half hour," Remus explained.

The Dursleys started to walk towards the door, not sparing a glance at Harry until Dudley turned, "See ya, Potter. Thanks for showing me around."

Stunned that his cousin was thanking him for something, Harry stared at him. "Bye, Dudley," he responded.

"Don't you two want to say anything? Your nephew saved your lives, after all," Tonks rebuked his aunt and uncle.

"Potter," Uncle Vernon simply said, walking out of the Great Hall while tugging on Dudley's shirt sleeve, forcing the boy to follow him.

Aunt Petunia remained behind, opening her mouth several times as though there was something she wanted to say. He watched as she seemed to change her mind, whispering, "Be safe" as she, too, turned and fled.

Remus and Tonks followed, leaving Harry alone, lost in his thoughts about his family once again.

-333-

"Grab that bag and pack those vials in it," Snape told Harry as he went to his store room with Remus.

Harry had been finishing a late breakfast when he received a note from Snape telling him to bring his dragon hide gloves and meet him and Remus in the Potions classroom. They were currently gathering supplies to take down to the chamber.

Remus and Snape exited the stockroom, each with a bulging kitbag.

"Ready, Potter?" Snape asked. Harry thought he had been acting exceptionally eager this morning. He hadn't made a single snide comment to him and quickly answered all of Harry's questions about the ingredients that he was packing.

"Yes, sir," he responded as he snapped his satchel closed.

"Lead the way," Snape remarked as he opened the classroom door, standing back and gesturing for Harry to go before him and Remus.

Before leaving the room, Harry paused briefly to pick up his Quidditch broom, which he had laid off to the side when he first arrived.

"What's with the broom, Potter? It will be too dark for flying by the time we finish harvesting ingredients," Snape informed Harry.

"It's not for Quidditch, Professor," Harry answered, glancing backwards to see that both men were following him. "We need a way in and out of the Chamber, so unless you're a bird animagus, we'll need the broom."

Snape didn't comment any further and Harry didn't bother to turn around to see what the man thought about what he just said. He was too busy beginning to dread returning to the place where he and Ginny almost died. He wasn't anxious before, but the closer he got to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, the sweatier his palms, clasped to his broom handle, became.

"In here," Harry announced, stopping before the second floor girls' loo. With an encouraging look from Remus and an impatient glare from Snape, Harry took a deep breath and entered the room.

Thankfully, Myrtle was not present, so they didn't have to deal with her wailing. The professors stood back as Harry circled the taps. He paused when he found the right one. His mouth was dry and he swallowed thickly before opening the entrance in Parseltongue.

As the pipes groaned and the fixtures moved out of place, Harry jumped back. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked behind him. To his shock, it was Snape who was holding him back.

Snape removed his hand quickly, moving in front of Harry and blocking his view of the now-open chamber. Remus stepped forward as well and both men were peering into the open hole. With a lit wand, Snape got to his knees and leaned over the opening.

"Don't!" Harry shouted, grabbing the back of Snape's robes.

The man stood faster than Harry thought possible, swinging around with his wand outstretched.

"What's gotten into you, Potter?" Snape questioned, his eyes piercing Harry's.

"It's just…It's a long way down, sir. Not the best idea to lean over the opening head first," Harry stammered.

"How'd you get into the chamber last time?" Snape asked, tucking his wand away.

"Well, we sort of just jumped in," Harry answered sheepishly.

"Every time I think you might have potential, you open your mouth and tell me something utterly ridiculous," Snape criticized. "How you and your little friends are still alive today is a mystery to me," Snape scoffed.

"Severus, why don't we focus on what we are doing today instead of rehashing the past?" Remus suggested, making eye contact with the professor.

That seemed to do the trick, because Snape eased up and stated, "Let's get down there. Potter, give me your broom."

"No way," Harry snapped, adding, "Sir," quickly at Snape's furious expression.

"I don't want it broken. I just got it back from Umbridge. I'll take you and Remus down," Harry explained.

"Potter," Snape began to argue, but Remus cut in.

"Harry's been down there before. I think it would be best to trust him with this. Shall I go first?" Remus asked.

"Okay," Harry responded, passing his potion bag off to Remus before mounting his broom. "Climb on."

Remus didn't hesitate as he mounted the broom behind Harry. He grabbed on to Harry's waist and descended into the dark entrance.

Seconds later, they reached the rat skeleton-laden ground.

"Oh, Harry, this is worse than I thought," Remus said disgustedly as he stepped over bits of bone and fur. "We should really add extermination wards down here before we leave. I like most animals, but I think Peter tarnished my view on rats."

"It is gross. Try sliding down and falling onto them," Harry joked. "Thanks for sticking up for me earlier with Snape. He brings the worst out in me," he added.

"Believe it or not, I think that he just regrets not always being able to protect his students. When he hears of the dangerous things that you've done here, it worries him. He may be harsh, but he takes his job very seriously," Remus explained. "Speaking of danger, you probably should go get him now before he thinks something happened to us," Remus said with a smile.

"Be right back," Harry said as he was about to take off.

"No need," Snape said behind him, nonchalantly brushing off his robes.

"How'd you get down here?" Harry asked, stunned.

"I have my ways," Snape answered slyly. "And, no, I'm not an animagus, bat or otherwise, despite the rumors. Now where's the basilisk? We've wasted enough time already."

"Come on," Harry said, motioning for the two to follow him down a narrow tunnel. He didn't think it was this small when he was there the first time.

Everyone was quiet, the sounds of bones breaking under their feet echoing on the damp rock walls.

"Stop!" Snape shouted, halting Harry and Remus in their tracks.

"What is it?" Harry asked as Remus held his wand out, steadying himself for an attack.

"The skin, you idiots! You're traipsing over shed basilisk skin. Have you any idea the value of that?" Snape exclaimed, pushing Harry and Remus out of the way as he knelt down and opened his satchel.

"How can I help?" Remus asked, carefully stepping towards Snape.

Harry decided it would be best for him if he just stood out of the way and let the others work.

"You can gather the sheets of scales that tore away from the main skin. Potter, come over here and help him. I'll handle the rest," Snape directed.

Harry watched as Snape flattened the contiguous sloughed skin, magically directing it into a wide beaker with a narrow opening and watching it coil up inside.

They worked quickly, the sound of metal forceps tapping against glass vials echoing off the walls. In less than an hour, they were finished and continued down the pipe towards the chamber entrance.

"Right up here the tunnel collapsed. I might be able to squeeze through, but I don't think you two will," Harry explained, pointing to an area ahead of him.

"How did this happen?" Remus asked looking around as Snape was performing a series of spells on the ceiling and walls.

"Lockhart. He tried to obliviate us with Ron's broken wand. It messed up Lockhart's memory instead and the backlash caused the collapse. Did you know that's how he managed to get people to believe he did all those adventurous things? He was pants at everything else, but turns out he was brilliant with memory charms," Harry answered.

"I informed the Headmaster of my suspicions prior to Lockhart's hiring. My concerns fell on deaf ears since there were no other alternative instructors," Snape explained.

Harry stared at Snape as the man preceded Remus through the now-stabilized tunnel. He was speechless. In the few weeks that he had been at Hogwarts, he was seeing another side of Snape and it was unsettling. Where was the man who tormented him in class, ridiculing his abilities and mocking his parentage? Snape wasn't exactly nice now, either, but he was doing a decent job at maintaining civility.

"Move along, Potter. We don't have all day!" Snape barked a good distance in front of Harry, standing at a solid wall with two ornately carved snakes, each with a pair of emerald eyes that shimmered in their wand light.

"Coming," Harry called, walking faster before coming to a halt in front of the snakes. He didn't think it would bother him to be down in the chamber, but he felt his heart beating out of his chest as he looked into the snakes' emerald eyes. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Harry swallowed.

"_Open_," Harry hissed, stepping back with the others as the snakes separated themselves to reveal two doors that parted open with loud creaks.

Harry didn't want to show he was weak, so he marched right in, striding past the snake entwined pillars.

"Wow," Remus breathed as he looked around at the carvings.

Harry looked backwards and saw that both Snape and Remus's heads were tilted back, the men appearing to be in awe of their surroundings.

Harry stopped, waiting for the others before continuing. He was already glad he wore his worst clothes, as his cuffs were already soaked and sweat was making his shirt cling to his chest.

Eventually, they came up to the basilisk. Harry stared at its head, blood pooled around it and one fang broken. It was so well preserved that it could have died just moments ago. Harry was lost in thoughts about how he and Ginny almost died until Remus came up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm okay," Harry answered Remus's concerned glance.

Snape, on the other hand, was mesmerized. "It has to be three times the size of the sloughed skin we collected!" Snape exclaimed as he slipped on a pair of dragonhide gloves before poking the snake with his finger.

"You killed this?" Snape asked, looking incredulously at Harry before turning his eyes to a scattering of blood on the floor. Unlike the rest, this blood was dried and brown.

"What happened here? Is this yours?" Snape asked as he pointed to the blood.

Harry shifted his gaze and Remus released Harry, stepping closer to the stain.

"Harry?" Remus asked with confusion and worry in his eyes.

Harry took a calming breath. He really didn't want to relive it, but there was no way Snape or Remus would stop questioning him until he told them what happened.

"Yeah, that's my…my blood," Harry responded. "Ginny was unconscious and Vold—Tom Riddle, or at least his horcrux self, was killing her."

Harry recalled the events from his second year, almost feeling the pain of the fang as if it had just happened as he explained.

"I thought I was gonna die," Harry whispered, remembering how scared he was.

"I was feeling weaker and Tom was mocking me, telling me I'd be dead in a few minutes. I…I just got tired of hearing him. If I was going to die, his wasn't going to be the last voice I heard. I didn't know it would work, but I was just so _angry_. I stabbed the diary with the fang from my arm and destroyed the Horcrux. Then Fawkes flew down to me. He saved me," Harry explained.

Snape just stood staring at Harry, his eyes boring into Harry's. Remus, on the other hand, looked shaken.

"Oh, Harry," Remus said sadly. "You were just twelve!"

"Why didn't you tell someone?" Snape asked, his eyes feels as though he were looking straight through Harry.

"I did. Ron and I went to Lockhart," Harry answered.

"Lockhart was useless and you knew it! Why not your Head of House? Hell, why did you not come to me?" Snape questioned.

"We heard him say he knew where the chamber was," Harry responded, leaving out that he didn't exactly trust Snape to ask for his help before.

"Next time, come to one of us when you need help," Snape admonished.

Harry nodded, "Yes, sir," and realized his affirmative answer was true. As much as he hated the man a few weeks ago, he now was learning to respect him. No, he still didn't like him, but he did know that he could go to Snape for help.

Snape once again set down his bag, this time setting up shop in front of the dead basilisk's head. Remus joined him and Harry hovered off to the side, kneeling next to Snape. He was careful to avoid the dried blood on the floor, unable to avoid staring at it.

Harry saw Snape pull his wand out of his cloak and turned his attention to the man. With a flick of his wand, he vanished the stain, removing the physical evidence of Harry's near death.

Harry was confused. Snape went back to work setting out tools and vials as though nothing just happened. Had he seen him staring?

"Potter, you and Lupin can start at the tail end. Let me just prepare the carcass for dissection," Snape ordered, standing with a scythe.

Snape strode to its tail like Death himself, cloak billowing behind him. He grasped the tail with a gloved hand and in one smooth movement sliced the snake along the belly, letting the tail fall to the stone floor with a squish.

Harry made a face and looked over to Remus, who was looking just as thrilled at their new assignment.

"Oh come on," Snape exhaled. "Put on some gloves and come over here to watch what I do," Snape instructed.

As they put on the protective gloves, Snape pulled a long tube with a huge needle on either end out of his bag and jabbed one needle into the side of the basilisk just below its head. He took the other needle and punctured a sealed flask the size of a bucket. It slowly began filling up with blood.

Seemingly unconcerned by the goriness of the task, Snape turned, waved his wand at the three of them, and their robes vanished. With another spell Harry didn't recognize, their clothes shimmered.

"Protective spells just in case you come in contact with the venom. It can be dangerous if it enters cuts or mucous membranes," Snape explained.

"Thanks," both Remus and Harry echoed.

"Now pay attention," Snape commanded.

He carefully demonstrated the dissection steps, separating the skin from the muscle and carefully collecting each bone. After he watched both Harry and Remus give it a try, he left them and went to work on the basilisk's head.

Harry remained focused on his task, wanting everything to be precise. He wasn't going to mess this up, especially since they were carving up one of the most important weapons they needed for the destruction of the Horcruxes. However, after he filled his tenth jar and collected what seemed like his hundredth bone, Harry and Remus began to chat to break the monotony.

"You know, you never did tell me how you found out you could talk to snakes," Remus commented.

Harry looked over to Snape and saw the man pause for a moment before continuing his work.

"I actually was at the zoo the summer before first year. Mrs. Figg couldn't watch me, so the Dursleys were forced to take me along. I was talking to myself in the reptile house and this great big boa constrictor answered me. I was shocked!" Harry laughed.

"That was a pretty good day, though. Dudley was being an arse, as usual, and I accidentally vanished the glass from the snake's exhibit. Sure scared the pants of Dudley!" Harry smiled. "I didn't learn it was a rare magical ability until second year when Ron and Hermione told me after the whole school saw me speak Parseltongue during Lockhart's dueling session."

"I'm sure the Dursleys weren't too happy after that," Remus commented.

Harry shrugged, tossing a bit of tissue into a half filled jar. "If it concerns me, they're never happy."

"Speaking of the Dursleys, how did it go with Dudley? Did you have much trouble convincing your aunt to let him leave their rooms?" Remus asked.

"It could have been worse. My uncle was at work and I left Dudley to badger my aunt to let him come with me. A part of me was hoping she'd refuse, but it wasn't so bad. My cousin was too excited about looking around that he was acting extra nice," Harry explained.

"That's good. From what I've seen, he's a self-centered young man and I think his biggest skill is his ability to manipulate those around him to get what he wants. Unfortunately, I doubt that _talent_ will get him very far in life," Remus added.

Harry murmured in agreement. Remus's words were the perfect backwards compliment for a boy who lived to torment others. There was one thing that continued to nag him about that day, though it wasn't his cousin.

He didn't know how to broach the subject, so he figured it best to just come out and say it. "You know what was weird? When I went to get Dudley my aunt thought I was Snape in disguise."

The sound of breaking glass and a muffled curse echoed throughout the chamber. When Harry looked towards the noise, he saw Snape had shattered a jar he was holding, bits of glass littering the area around him. It was gone in one flick of his wand, but Harry was surprised the normally steady man would be careless enough to drop something so important.

"Is my aunt thinking I look like you really that earth shattering?" Harry mockingly asked Snape.

"Keep quiet and get back to work!" Snape barked in his typical 'I hate all things Potter' tone.

Harry shook his head and looked to Remus, who was looking at him as though trying to find Snape's features in his face.

After a minute, Remus whispered, "Her frame of reference for wizards is slim. You do look different now. Take in the dark hair and more of your mum's features and I can see how she would question your appearance."

"Makes sense," Harry whispered back in an attempt to not irritate Snape any further as he focused on the slimy skin in front of him.

A few hours later, all the supplies were packed and Harry and the professors were heading out of the chamber. Nothing of the basilisk remained except for a few chunks of tissue damaged when Snape dropped his jar.

The bags they carried were heavy and all three were panting and sweating by the time they reached the bottom of the pipe that lead up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"I guess I'll take Remus up first," Harry commented as he mounted his broom and waited for the professor to join him. Harry flew off with Remus and left him and both of their heavy packs in the bathroom.

When Harry returned, he scooted forwards and motioned for Snape to climb on the back. Looking exhausted, he didn't complain and did as Harry asked.

Once back in Hogwarts proper, they all headed back to Snape's lab.

"Careful," Snape admonished as Harry and Remus sat down their satchels on a work bench.

"We are, trust me," Harry responded.

He was tired, hungry, and in desperate need of a shower.

"So when will the potion be ready?" Harry asked.

"Tomorrow," Snape answered, already setting up his cauldrons. "And tomorrow evening we go to Grimmauld Place," he added. "Now, both of you leave me to work."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think so far. Your reviews have been so helpful!

Thanks to all of you that already reviewed or added this story to your alerts or favorites. I like knowing there are some people out there reading this and enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it, even though I'm not able to update as quickly as I want to.

Updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page at fanfiction dot net.

_Coming up:_ Harry and others visit Grimmauld Place and search for the Horcrux.


	19. Return to Grimmauld Place

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1_

Special thanks to my betas, _**boushh**__, __**xHarryIsMyHomeboyx**__,_ and _**breannatala**_. Extra special thanks to _**xHarryIsMyHomeboyx**_ for beta reading this chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter 19: Return to Grimmauld Place**

**For a recap of the story so far, see Chapter 18.**

Harry was too preoccupied to fall asleep that night. He couldn't stop thinking about going to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. He thought about Sirius for a while, an empty feeling settling in his gut. It still hurt to dwell on him for too long, so Harry tried to distract himself and snatched up a defense book he got for his birthday. All that did was cause him to worry about the next day's mission. He didn't want to see anyone else get hurt, but from his experience with the Horcrux in the diary he knew not to underestimate the evil that Voldemort sealed in Slytherin's locket.

He practiced some new shields, hoping to be more prepared. He continued reading the defense book until his eyes got heavy and he couldn't see straight anymore. Putting his book and wand on the nightstand, Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map. He watched Snape move between his lab and storeroom several times. Dumbledore was in his office, probably seated at his desk, as his label was stationary. Besides his still flickering name, Harry also spotted Remus and Tonks' names on the map, both unmoving side by side in Remus's quarters. Getting bored watching the few castle inhabitants on the map, he closed it and glanced at the clock for the last time. It was already three in the morning. He took off his glasses, closed his eyes, and forced himself to clear his mind. It wasn't working. Harry sighed. It was going to be a long day.

-333-

"Don't forget your dad's cloak," Remus called up the stairs from the Gryffindor common room.

"I know!" Harry yelled back, digging through his trunk for his wand holster that he would need for their trip to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

Finding the dragonhide sheath, he attached it to his body and tucked his wand safely inside it. With his invisibility cloak stashed in his pocket, he rushed down the stairs two at a time to meet Remus.

"Ready?" Remus asked, standing straight from where he had been leaning against the stone fireplace mantle.

Harry nodded and followed Remus out of the portrait hole and to the Headmaster's office. Panting already from both adrenaline and the excitement of tearing up his dorm to find what he needed, Harry attempted to calm himself before meeting the others.

"You-No-Poo," Remus said to the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office.

Despite the stress of the upcoming mission, Harry couldn't help but laugh, "You-no poo! That's brilliant!"

Remus smiled, "One of the twins' new candy inventions, I've been told. Albus said he saw the poster in Diagon Alley and couldn't resist trying some. He would have been admitted to St. Mungo's with a bowel obstruction if not for Madame Pomfrey's judicious use of therapeutic laxatives. It's also the reason he couldn't join us in the chamber yesterday. He was a bit, well, indisposed."

"Gross," Harry remarked, wrinkling his nose. "Sorry I asked," Harry whispered as he pushed open the office door.

"Harry, Remus, have a seat. We're just waiting on Kingsley and Nymphadora," Dumbledore announced from the head of an oval table that was now situated on the other side of his office across from his desk.

"Hey, nice to see you both again," Bill Weasley smiled as he stood and greeted Harry and Remus. "And you, Harry, the Headmaster wasn't lying when he said you look different."

"Yeah, it's taken some getting used to," Harry added as he shook Bill's hand.

"It's nice to see the real you, though," Bill commented cheerfully.

Remus moved to sit next to Snape, who was seated across from the Headmaster, while Harry took a seat between Dumbledore and Bill.

"Excuse me a moment," Dumbledore said to them both as he stood and joined Remus and Snape in conversation.

"How is everyone?" Harry asked, eager to find out what his friends were up to, since he hadn't seen them for nearly a month.

"They're all good. Charlie got a promotion and is one of the head dragon breeders on the reserve," Bill mentioned.

"That's great! How's Fred and George's new shop going?" Harry questioned.

"They're always busy. I've never seen them work so hard. Mum and Dad were worried when they didn't sit for their N.E.W.T.S, but they've come around. I think they like seeing the twins serious about building a successful business," Bill answered.

He continued, "Hermione's spending the last two weeks before school at the Burrow. Ginny enjoys having another girl around, but I think Ron's happier to have her around than she is. He hasn't admitted it, but I think he's smitten with her," Bill explained.

"But they argue all the time," Harry said, trying to think if he ever saw anything more than friendship between them.

"That's the way Ron is. With so many kids in the house, to get attention he would act as the instigator. When he had crushes on girls growing up, he would tease them, follow them around, or just do little things that would get on their nerves. Hermione's been so focused on her studies that she doesn't see his behavior for what it is and gives as good as she gets," Bill said, smiling.

Harry thought about asking what Ginny did when she liked boys, but was interrupted as Dumbledore came back and took his seat.

"Bill, I hear congratulations are in order," Dumbledore said with a beaming smile.

"Thank you," Bill said, blushing.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"I'm engaged to Fleur Delacour," Bill answered.

"That's great! Congratulations! Mrs. Weasley must be excited to plan a wedding," Harry stated.

Bill chuckled, "She and Fleur have done nothing but talk about wedding details for the past week. I actually look forward to going to work lately so I can avoid being stuck in the middle of fierce debates like this morning's about teal versus turquoise linens."

Dumbledore and Harry laughed and Bill joined in, drawing the attention of Snape and Remus.

"What's so funny?" Remus asked curiously.

Before Bill could answer, Kingsley stepped out of the floo. He quickly stepped aside and Harry understood why as Tonks spilled out, stumbling over her own cloak. Kingsley, who appeared used to her unsteadiness, already had his arm out and caught her by the wrist before she toppled over one of Dumbledore's spinning antiques.

"Thanks," Tonks smiled to Kingsley before they both greeted everyone.

Tonks took the seat beside Remus and across from Harry while Kingsley sat between Bill and Snape.

"Thank you all for coming," Dumbledore began. "As you know, we did prove that Harry inherited Kreacher and in all likelihood Headquarters as well. However, we cannot be sure until we go there ourselves. Other dangers exist as well, so Tonks and Kingsley were kind enough to agree to help us this evening."

At his nod, Kingsley responded in kind and Tonks smiled.

"Once we determine the general safety of Headquarters, you both are free to leave and Severus, Remus, Harry, and I will remain behind to ready the building for our use. Severus and Remus, we spoke earlier and you are both prepared, correct?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape spoke as Remus nodded in agreement.

"Harry, you have been briefed earlier and we will explain more once we're sure ownership of Number 12 Grimmauld Place transferred to you," Dumbledore explained to Harry.

"Yes, sir," Harry responded.

"If there are no questions, we will depart via portkey," Dumbledore added as the others stood.

"Come along," Dumbledore announced and the others quieted and gathered around the wire hanger that he held up.

A few seconds after each of them had a grip on it, the portkey activated. Harry felt like he was attached to the hanger by a narrow thread as he was whirled around. Just when he thought he would sick up if he spun around anymore, Harry's feet firmly hit the ground at Grimmauld Place. His knees buckled and he almost fell, but was caught by Snape.

"Thanks," Harry murmured and Snape released his arm.

The eclectic group walked down the street, Dumbledore whispering concealing spells as they walked. They quickly reached Number 12 and huddled on the doorstep.

Harry thought the stoop must be enchanted because all six of them were able to fit on the landing, barely touching shoulders.

"Harry, come forward. If it's yours, the wards will respond to your magical signature. If not, well, that's why we're all here," Kingsley spoke up.

"Just grab the handle," Dumbledore urged, stepping back and guiding Harry towards the door with a gentle nudge.

Harry hesitated for a moment, but was reassured by the presence of the group of highly qualified individuals behind him and grasped the large serpentine handle, his thumb on the latch.

When nothing strange happened, Harry relaxed and opened the door. Memories of Sirius assaulted his brain. Reminders were everywhere. The curtain covering Walburga Black's portrait was still singed where Sirius set fire to it. The coasters were still where he left them, on the side table that Sirius had animated during the Christmas holidays to fly around the room so that he could demonstrate some of his favorite seeker moves.

"Thank you, Harry. I don't mean to state the obvious, but the house is yours," Dumbledore spoke out as they all stood in the foyer.

Dumbledore's words jolted him back to the present. Everyone was safely inside and, with the exception of Snape, staring at him with looks of concern.

Harry hated that look. As much as he was missing Sirius right now, they had a task to do and he couldn't let them see his grief.

"Stay here, Potter," Snape ordered when Harry started to move away from the door to follow Tonks and Kingsley.

"We need to wait for them to clear the house first," Remus reminded Harry.

"Oh, yeah," Harry responded, embarrassed.

Dumbledore and Remus were casting a variety of protection spells over the door, most of which Harry had never heard of. Meanwhile, Snape was casting a variety of spells aimed at the floor and corners of the room. He was mumbling a string of Latin words, few of which Harry could understand. He watched as golden tendrils slithered along the floor, spreading out and sending off sparks of light that danced up the walls to join the streaks of light that were originating from the corners.

Harry's eyes tracked the golden tentacles as they merged with the blue glow surrounding the door, engulfing the room in a green glow. He didn't know why, but the cold, isolated feeling that overwhelmed him slowly disappeared until he felt as though he would never be alone again.

He was jerked out of that peaceful feeling as the glow from the spells faded into the walls and the curtain covering Mrs. Black flung open.

She began screeching furiously. "How dare you vile urchins defile the House of Black!"

"Nice to see you, too!" Tonks yelled over the obscenities, her hair turning fire red as she grabbed the curtain from Remus and yanked it shut with more force than necessary.

"Thanks for the help," Remus joked as he got closer to Tonks and put an arm around her, causing her hair to turn pink again.

Kingsley was already talking to Snape near the fireplace in hushed tones. Harry hadn't seen Snape walk away during the commotion, but everyone else seemed to notice as Harry trailed after Dumbledore and the others into the next room.

"I take it you found nothing?" Dumbledore asked as they approached Snape and Kingsley.

"All clear," Kingsley responded, snatching up some floo powder and motioning for Tonks to join him with a jerk of his head.

"Time to get back to work," Tonks said as she gave Remus a quick kiss.

"Thanks again," Dumbledore said as he shook first Kinsley's then Tonks' hand.

"Not a problem, but we have to return before our absence is noticed," Kingsley responded.

"And nice seeing you again, Mr. Potter," Kingsley said right before he disappeared in the green flames of the floo.

"See ya in a bit!" Tonks added as she too was whisked away.

Harry looked up at Snape and Dumbledore, the seriousness of the search sinking in.

"I'll tackle the first two floors. Severus, you can cover the basement, and Remus, you and Harry can start with the attic," he ordered and began to walk away from the others.

"Wait!" Harry called out, annoyed. He wasn't going to be babysat here too, subjected to following one of the others around. He came along because he wanted to help search, not act like Remus's living shadow.

"Why can't I start on the third floor? It'll take twice as long if the four of us don't split up," Harry said as he tried to defend his case.

"Potter, for once in your life, can't you just do as you're told?" Snape sneered.

Dumbledore ignored Snape and answered Harry, "While safe from general threats, such as decapitation spells in entryways, there may be hidden dangers that have yet to be removed. It would be safer if you would stick with one of us."

"I'm not thick," Harry said, ignoring the scoff from Snape. "Voldemort and I have this connection. If there's anyone that can sense a part of him in an object, I think it would be me. If I find something that looks dangerous, I'll call one of you. Trust me," Harry pleaded.

Dumbledore stared at Harry for a while before turning towards Snape. "Give him the portkey," Dumbledore ordered.

Snape looked ready to make a snide comment, but Harry was confused when he said nothing and instead reached into his robes, pulled out a rock about the size of his palm, and handed it off to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sighed. "I suspect you don't realize how much I _do_ trust you," he said softly before holding out the rock to Harry. "You can search the third level and do the fourth together with Remus. Just satisfy an old man's concern and take this portkey as a precaution. The password is wartcap. It will take you to my office should you encounter any trouble and find yourself in need of escaping before we arrive to your aid."

"Thanks," Harry replied, tucking the ordinary river rock in the pocket of his jeans. He was surprised how readily the Headmaster agreed with him. "I'll be careful."

"I know you will, my boy," Dumbledore answered with a smile. "Let's begin, shall we?" Dumbledore announced.

-333-

Two hours later, Harry was wishing he had just worked with Remus. He suspected he would have been far less bored if he had the other man for company. Instead, he was now getting down on his stomach to peer under one of the beds in Fred and George's old room.

Based on the large amount of contraband hidden, their center of operations seemed to be located under what he was assuming was Fred's bed.

He grabbed his wand, using it to shove what looked like melted moldy canary creams out of the way to inspect further. As he squinted to read the labels on some overturned vials, Harry noticed something sticky attached to his wand.

"Gross!" Harry grimaced as he saw what looked like runny poo off of his wand. It smelled like cotton candy as he used a pillowcase to wipe it off, making Harry suspect it was a new product the twins were developing.

"Wonder what creature they were basing that product on?" Harry muttered, chuckling softly as he imagined possible uses for the substance. It would have worked wonders against Umbridge.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a loud crack rang throughout the room.

"Master called?" Kreacher asked, bowing slightly.

"Kreacher! You scared me!" Harry answered, lowering his raised wand and trying to calm his racing heart.

"Kreacher is sorry, Master, but you is calling, so Kreacher is coming," the elf explained.

Harry was confused. He thought back to what he had said.

"Creature," he whispered, laughing.

"Yes, sir?" Kreacher said, only causing Harry to laugh more.

"Sorry, Kreacher. I was just looking for something and misspoke," Harry explained.

"Then Kreacher will return to the attic. That wolf man is making a mess," Kreacher added, a scowl on his face at the mention of Remus.

"Actually," Harry added, causing the elf to pause. "Maybe you could help me and we'll all leave sooner. Have you seen a locket anywhere in the house?" Harry asked, knowing he was vague but not wanting to give too much away.

"A locket, Master?" Kreacher looked at Harry suspiciously and continued, "You cannot have it. Master Regulus gave it to me."

Kreacher seemed nervous to Harry, which was unlike him. He had to be talking about Slytherin's locket, especially if a Death Eater previously had possession of it.

The elf was loyal to Sirius's brother, so much so that he would probably die before giving it to Harry. He needed more information.

"Tell me about the locket," Harry ordered, moving to sit across from Kreacher on the ratty area rug in front of one of the beds.

The nervous look vanished instantly and Kreacher looked sadder than Harry had ever seen him, looking as if he just found out that Sirius wasn't really dead after all.

"Master Regulus had just returned from a meeting with the Dark Lord," Kreacher began. "Master was more frantic than Kreacher had ever seen him…"

-333-

**In the year 1979…**

"Kreacher!" Regulus bellowed, tearing off his mask and storming up the stairs.

He had fifteen minutes to send Kreacher to the Dark Lord before he would be summoned and likely tortured to death on arrival. With Potter's escape on his watch, the man wouldn't hesitate to kill him with one flick of his wrist.

"Master called?" Kreacher asked, appearing in front of Regulus who was pacing in his room.

"I have something very important for you to do," Regulus said as he paused, stopping to sit in front of Kreacher so that they were nearly at eye level. "The Dark Lord has an assignment and I know you are the best elf for the job."

At that, Kreacher stood taller, straightening his already pristine uniform bearing the Black family crest.

"Kreacher is honored," he whispered, a joyful look on his face.

"As you should be," Regulus responded. "You will follow me back to the Dark Lord. He has a task for you to complete. He did not say what it entails, but you are to do as he says," Regulus instructed.

"Kreacher will, Master Regulus," Kreacher responded, nodding his head several times.

"However, you must always remember that you are _my_ elf. I will not have him steal you from me, regardless of the power he may have. Once your primary task is complete, I order you to return to me," Regulus demanded.

"Yes, Master Regulus. Master is too kind, looking out for Kreacher," the elf stated, tears welling in his eyes.

Minutes later, Regulus found himself in front of the Dark Lord once again, this time with Kreacher at his side.

"Splendid," Voldemort remarked, a twisted smile appearing on his handsome face. "You can go," he said to Regulus. "Elf, follow me," he added, forcefully grabbing Kreacher by the arm and apparating him away.

When they landed, Kreacher at first thought that Kreacher's arm was broken because of the force the Dark Lord had on it. Kreacher hated apparating with wizards. With Master Regulus it wasn't so bad because Master was kind and made sure Kreacher was prepared. Instead, Kreacher was nauseous and dizzy.

When the Dark Lord finally let go, Kreacher did as Master said and followed the Dark Lord through a maze of tunnels in a wet, dark cave. Kreacher slipped and fell a few times, but managed to run and keep up with his rapid pace.

Kreacher followed him into a boat and across a dark black lagoon deep in the cavern to a small island. On the island was a large basin filled with a shimmering green liquid.

"Drink," was Voldemort's only command.

Kreacher grabbed a full cup of the liquid. His hands were trembling, but despite his anxiety he brought the cup to his lips and began to drink. He screamed, almost dropping the cup in the process.

Images played in his mind like a nightmare. Kreacher watched as his mother stood in the kitchen in front of the stove, yelling at him for messing up an order at his first dinner party. Mistress Black was coughing, her voice harsh and raspy as she struggled to breathe. A young Master Sirius standing back, laughing as one of his pranks exploded in Kreacher's face, burning the tips of his ears.

He was brought back to the present as strong hands roughly grabbed a small tuft of hair on the top of his head, dumping more liquid down his throat.

Kreacher cried out, but the Dark Lord only laughed, shouting, "Drink, you whimpering beast!"

With no other choice, Kreacher drank down two more scoops of the green potion, emptying the basin. He began to feel lightheaded and couldn't stop trembling. He watched with blurry vision as Voldemort dug a locket out of his pocket and placed it in the basin. He took out a flask and poured more green liquid on top of it.

Kreacher really wasn't feeling well at all. He stepped closer to Voldemort and coughed. Blood spattered his hand and a few flecks landed on the hem of Voldemort's robe. The man looked down at the wide eyed elf, a sinister grin revealing shiny white teeth.

"Don't follow me," Voldemort commanded as he strode to the boat, stepped in, and paddled away.

Kreacher knew he was dying. He coughed more, splattering blood across the rocks on the tiny island. He looked around, but the slight turn of his head made him even dizzier. He lost his footing and fell into the lagoon.

Suddenly, he was being pulled under. Cold, bony hands grabbed his legs and wrists. He swallowed mouthfuls of water. His vision blurred once more and he focused all of his remaining energy on disapparating home.

Kreacher landed in the Black living room on his feet, but promptly fell over. Blood oozed from his nose and mouth as he watched the fading shape of Master Regulus rush to his side.

"Poison," Kreacher croaked before another coughing fit overwhelmed him.

"Relax," Master Regulus commanded as he dug out some vials from his pocket.

"I'm sorry, Master," Kreacher whispered. His eyes closed and the last thing he remembered was Master Regulus shoving a bezoar down his throat.

-333-

"How did you survive?" Harry asked the elf, engrossed in the story.

"Master Regulus saved Kreacher," the elf whispered, a tear dripping down his wrinkled face. "Kreacher only lived because Master ordered Kreacher home."

He took a deep breath then continued, "Once Kreacher was well, Master Regulus wanted to be taken to the cave."

"Kreacher tried to stop him, but Master wouldn't listen!" the elf cried.

"Master Regulus drank all the poison just like Kreacher did. Master replaced the locket with another one and gave Kreacher the Dark Lord's. Regulus Black ordered Kreacher to return home, destroy the locket, and to not tell anyone what happened to Master. Master…" Kreacher sobbed, "Master _died_ in that cave. Kreacher tried, really tried, but Kreacher could never destroy the locket! Kreacher failed Master Regulus!" he cried, his knees cracking as he dropped to the floor and sobbed into his hands.

Harry couldn't believe it. One of the Horcruxes was here. He just needed to figure out how to get the elf to give it to him.

"I'm sorry, Kreacher," Harry began, awkwardly patting his bony shoulder. He hesitated before continuing, making sure he didn't give away too much. "The locket is why we are here. We want to destroy it." After a second, he added, "for Regulus."

Kreacher brightened, wiping his eyes on the back of his hands, "Really?" Kreacher asked, looking like all of his dreams had been answered.

At Harry's nod, Kreacher flung himself at Harry's feet. "Master Harry! Thank you!"

-333-

Once he was able to wretch himself from Kreacher's grasp, Harry directed Kreacher to take him to the locket. Now he stood alone, facing the door to Regulus's old room. He had lingered in front of Sirius's room next door but reluctantly moved on at Kreacher's irritated insistence. He sent the elf to get Dumbledore, Snape, and Remus, and now debated whether or not he should search the room where Kreacher stashed the Horcrux or if he should wait until the adults arrived. He had his hand on the knob, but he couldn't bring himself to open it.

Instead, he turned and crossed the narrow wooden hallway. He knew Kreacher would lead the others to Regulus's room soon enough, but right now the idea of surrounding himself with Sirius's things was much more appealing. He missed him so much at times that he wondered if he would ever be happy again. Giving into the urge, Harry slowly turned the knob.

His breath hitched as all the air was stunned out of his lungs. It wasn't possible. "Sirius?" Harry choked out from the doorway at the figure looking at him from across the room.

"Harry!" the man said happily. "I've missed you!"

He turned from the window and took a step closer to Harry.

"No," Harry responded, tears falling down his face. "You…you died. I saw it!"

-333-

Downstairs in the basement, Snape was digging through crates of antiques, many of them carrying at least one dark enchantment. He was startled out of his concentration as a crack of an arriving house elf rang through the air.

"Master Harry has ordered Kreacher to tell the others that he has found Master Regulus's locket and that he is getting it from Master's room," Kreacher announced.

At that, the elf vanished and Snape raced out of the room, not waiting to rely on the others to stop Harry from doing something foolish.

Also heading to Regulus's room were Dumbledore and Remus, and all three men started racing up separate staircases as they heard Harry's scream.

-333-

"Harry, it's not that simple," Sirius attempted to explain. "I was lost for a while, but I'm back now. We can be together forever," he added as he stepped closer to Harry, reaching out a hand to his godson. "I'm so sorry," he whispered to the boy.

Harry was still skeptical. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't plan on leaving you at all. I was a target to get to you. It was only a matter of time before they would find a way to capture me to draw you out. I was putting everyone in danger by simply existing," Sirius explained. "I had to do something, so I faked my death."

Taking a deep breath, Harry was stunned. "Why didn't you tell me? How could you make me think…HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME?"

At that, Harry broke. He looked up at Sirius, tears dripping down his face. "I've missed you so much," Harry cried.

"I know," Sirius replied as he stepped forward, gripping Harry in a fierce hug.

After a few minutes he pulled away. "Now tell me what I've missed," he added, smiling down at his godson.

-333-

Snape met Remus and Dumbledore outside of Regulus's room. All three had their wands ready and at the Headmaster's signal they burst through the door, only to find a surprisingly well-kept room that looked like the occupant just stepped out that morning. Handwritten notes were still strewn across the desk, but the leftover mementos were the last thing on the minds of the three wizards.

"Where's Potter?" Snape asked, anger edging into his voice at what he was beginning to think was some horrible trick. He looked at the others, worry clouding each of their expressions.

"I have an idea where he might be," Remus added as he looked across the hall at the partially open door to Sirius's room. Dumbledore lead the way, bringing his small but mighty army to a stop in front of the door. They could hear two voices inside, one of the young boy and the other of a man long thought gone forever.

Without thought, Remus pushed past the others, crying, "Sirius" as he burst in the doorway.

Snape grabbed the back of Remus's cloak, stopping him from moving too far and the three men were stunned by what they saw. Harry was chatting animatedly with a healthy appearing Sirius. He looked better than Snape had seen him in recent years, making him suspicious.

Once again, Remus tried to get closer, but Snape held him back.

"Don't," Snape said, pushing Remus into Dumbledore's grip. "It's likely a trap."

"I'll keep him here," Dumbledore told Snape. "You are best equipped to deal with Harry right now."

"I'll deal with Potter," Snape agreed. "You two get the Horcrux so we can get out of here."

The others left, leaving Snape alone. He closed and warded the door behind himself, Harry and Sirius oblivious to his actions.

"Potter," Snape called as he walked closer. As he suspected, the boy only had eyes for his godfather. He decided to try another tactic.

"Well, well. Look what the Inferi drug in," Snape sneered.

"Snivellus!" Sirius growled, standing as though ready to attack Snape, except he made no move to grab a wand.

The shift seemed to draw Harry out of his spell and he turned on Snape.

"Why can't you leave him alone? I just got him back!" Harry choked, standing in front of Sirius in a protective stance, wand out and ready to attack Snape.

"Potter, this is not Black," Snape responded calmly, taking a step forward. His wand remained in his hand and down by his side.

"You're lying! Leave us alone!" Harry screamed, sparks shooting out of his wand as he looked wildly between Sirius and Snape.

"Of course I'm Sirius, Harry," his godfather said in a tone that matched Snape's.

"No Harry," Snape continued urgently, not noticing that he used the boy's first name as he struggled to make him understand. "He's not real. There are many forms of magic that you have yet to be introduced to. He's a traggob." He paused, and then continued rapidly as he saw the sliver of doubt in Harry's eyes. "A traggob takes the form of whomever the first magical person desires the most at the time it is spotted. It draws you in until all you do is listen to it without regard to your own well-being, eventually leading to death. The only person that can stop the spell is a witch or wizard with an equal amount of negative emotion towards the form that the traggob has taken," Snape explained.

"Don't listen to him, Harry. He has always hated me. He'll do anything to keep us apart," Sirius begged, tugging on Harry's hand.

"Look at me, Potter," Snape urged. "You need to listen to me. Ask him something, anything. He won't know the answer."

Harry looked between the two. He looked confused, but Snape could see that despite the boy's desire for him to be wrong, he was still thinking over everything that he had said.

Harry took a deep breath and turned to focus solely on Sirius. "When did we talk on the two-way mirrors?" He asked.

Silence swept over the room until Sirius spoke, "Harry, what does that matter? I came back to you."

Tears welled in Harry's eyes. "It matters," he replied. "Answer the question."

"Don't you remember, Harry? We talked every night," Sirius answered with a grin.

Harry responded with a choked sob and stepped backwards behind Snape and against the wall.

"Expelso," Snape said with a flick of his wand, vanishing the conjured Sirius before it could do any more damage. He then turned towards Harry.

The boy looked devastated, as though he had just watched his godfather fall through the veil all over again.

"Potter," Snape called, trying to get the boy's attention as he slipped his wand into his pocket.

"How could you?" Harry muttered under his breath.

Snape looked at Harry questioningly but said nothing.

"How could you just stand there?" Harry repeated as he brought his tear-filled eyes up to look into Snape's dark piercing ones. "How could you…how could you let me go on thinking, even for just a minute, that Sirius was back? Why didn't you vanish that _thing_ once you saw it?" Harry ranted.

As calmly as possible, Snape explained, "I had no other choice. You had to realize it was an illusion before the spell was broken. Otherwise, you would have spent the rest of your life consumed with finding Black."

Harry looked away. "It was just so real," the boy said, and Snape realized he wasn't talking to him anymore but instead trying to understand what just happened.

He watched as Harry took several deep breaths and walked over to Sirius's desk. He heard the boy gasp as he fingered a small mirror partially hidden beneath a few scraps of parchment.

"If only I had used that bloody mirror!" Harry cried. With an ear shattering wail, he picked up a half-full inkwell and flung it against the wall, just missing Snape's head.

As suddenly as the anger appeared, it was replaced by wrenching sobs.

Snape was in an uncomfortable position. He wanted to turn the boy over to someone more capable of compassion than himself, but at seeing his son falling apart in front of him, he was inexplicably drawn forwards.

With slow movements as though Harry was going to explode at any moment, Snape reached up and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed. Harry hadn't moved, but the sobs continued.

Snape slowly moved his hand from the boy's shoulder up to the back of his neck. That was all that it took for Harry to lean forward, resting his head on Snape's shoulder and clutching at the man's robes tightly.

He couldn't explain why he did it, but he needed to be close to Harry. He thought it would feel uncomfortable or foreign, but as he drew an arm around the boy and wrapped him in a protective hug, it felt natural. At that moment, he realized he would do anything to protect this boy, _his _boy. Voldemort be damned.

After a few minutes, Harry calmed and Snape, sensing the boy's discomfort, turned away to allow him to compose himself.

He turned back around when he heard Harry clear his throat and without a word opened the door, ushering Harry out.

As they walked downstairs in silence, Albus's patronus greeted Snape and instructed him to return to Hogwarts. "Take out the portkey," he instructed Harry.

As he handed it out to Snape to grab onto, the boy looked him in the eyes and after a moment said, "Thank you."

Snape responded with a nod, unsure of what to say. Instead, he said the password to return both of them to the Headmaster's office.

-333-

"Severus, Harry," Dumbledore greeted. Harry noticed he kept his eyes on Snape for several moments longer than necessary, no doubt communicating something about the earlier events.

"You okay?" Remus asked, resting a hand on his shoulder and enveloping Harry his second hug of the day. "Albus told me what happened. It had me momentarily charmed as well, but he got me away before it spoke to me. Good thing Severus was there," he added grimly, turning to Snape to thank him personally.

"No need, Lupin," Snape commented. "I'm more concerned about the results of this little day trip. I presume you've found the locket?"

"Of course," Dumbledore said as he held out a velvet-lined wooden box with the locket safely ensconced inside.

Snape took the box and sat, carefully examining the locket. The others all took seats around the Headmaster's desk as Dumbledore asked, "How did you find it, Harry?"

Harry explained Kreacher's story of Regulus's betrayal of Voldemort. By the end, Snape had handed the locket back over to the Headmaster and was reaching for it back again. He was stunned.

"Did you know about this, Severus?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"There were rumors, but I was never certain he defected. We all just assumed he was killed during a raid," Snape explained.

"Can I see it closer?" Harry asked as he took the box from Snape's slack grasp, the man still deep in thought.

It was ornate, sure, but to Harry it didn't look like a dangerous object. Suddenly wanting nothing more than to open the locket, he reached forward to snatch it.

He was stopped by Snape's thin fingers forming a tight grip on his wrist. Remus grabbed the box from him and gave it back to the Headmaster.

"Sorry," Harry muttered, yanking his arm from Snape's tight grip. "I don't know what happened. I just really wanted to open it."

"Yes, it does provoke one's curiosity," Dumbledore paused as he examined the locket with a strange spinning handheld device. "Which is why I think we should destroy this now," he finished.

-333-

**A/N:** Sorry for the long time between updates, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!

Thanks to all of you that already reviewed or added this story to your alerts or favorites. I like knowing there are some people out there reading this and enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it, even though I'm not able to update as quickly as I want to.

Updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found on my profile page at fanfiction dot net.

_Coming up:_ Will Harry finally discover that Snape is his biological father?


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